Half Hearted
by xxxRagexxx
Summary: Two years have passed since Oz escaped from the Abyss, and he finds his heart caught between the two people he cares for the most. Will he try to keep them both? Or choose one? Or will one of his options choose for him? GilxOz BreakxAlice
1. Lukewarm

**Important Note:**

Hello everyone :) This is only my second fic so please be nice *Blushes shyly*. This story mostly follows Oz and Alice, (it's not POV though) but other perspectives are in it as well. Please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors, and I'll try hard to keep them as in character as possible. If the grammar gets too bad, then let me know so I can invest in a beta. There will be lemons in this, both **BoyxBoy**, and **BoyxGirl **( as you can see from the other pairing in this story). This is not a canon ( I actually didn't read the manga yet. Yes... shame on me :(

Hope you enjoy it.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it's characters._

_

* * *

  
_

** XXX Lukewarm XXX**

Oz didn't know how he was supposed to eat his lunch, when the two people that were closest to his heart, were giving each other death glares.

Oz was currently sitting at the end of the long dinning table, with Alice on his left hand side furiously chewing a piece of baked chicken, and Gilbert on his right hand side, leaning back in his seat smoking a cigarette, never once taking his hard yellow gaze off the chain that sat across from him.

It was often like this, both of his friends trying to rip Oz apart as they fought over the "rights" to him. But occasionally the fighting would escalate to higher levels than just playful rivalry and friendly envy, and now that almost two years had passed, and they all settled neatly at the Vessalius mansion, things had only gotten worst between the two.

Oz had often asked his uncle what brought on such a drastic change in Alice's interaction with Gilbert and vise versa, but every time he would ask, the man would get all teary eyed and mumble something about how much all of them had grown, and say that it was simply "that time."

What time? That was the question he was always left with, as far as he could tell nothing had really changed. Sure, he was physically seventeen years old and he got a little bit taller...just a little. And his voice was a tad deeper. Oh, and he seemed to notice Alice's curves become more and more defined as the girl...developed. As for Gilbert, well, he stayed the same, if anything, the man got even more handsome...but that was it.

And as for that present moment, the majority of the tension stemmed from Alice's anger about Oz choosing to accompany Gilbert to the city to buy some supplies for his uncle. But he told the girl he would go with Gilbert alone, to spend some time with him.

Then she argued with Oz and Gilbert for at least an hour before adopting a sour mood and a damp attitude, really, the girl could be so...

" Stop staring at me, seaweed head! It's annoying!"

" Your presence is annoying." Gilbert said under his breath as he rolled his eyes and blew smoke though his nose.

" You wanna die, you!-" Alice was cut off and pushed back by Oz who caught the girl trying to crawl across the table and attack his servant.

" Alice!" Oz called out as he struggled to restrain the headstrong female.

" He started it, damn idiot!"

"Oh my...must you two fight every minute?" All three off them turned to see Break crawling from underneath the table, lazily making his way toward the trio who's expressions lacked the surprise that they once had, the first few times he pull that trick; they were quite use to it by then.

" Break...it's been awhile." Oz said happily.

" Yes it has. Though, this time I have news that may be of interest to you."

" Is it about my memories?" Alice said with hope in her voice.

" No."

" What is it?" Oz prompted.

Break took his time sitting himself on the table, eyes exploring the lavish lunch for anything sweet that he could get his delicate hands on. He seemed disappointed when the only thing he found containing sugar was some apples and a left over pear. But it didn't stop him from taking them.

" Hey...Are you going to tell us or what?" Gilbert ground out with half annoyance and slight aggression.

" Oh..yes. It's seems Pandora is making a bit of progress on their investigation to remove the seals. There's a rumor going around that one man has been successfully able to do that, but locating him is another matter." The white haired man finished off his statement by crunching into his apple, hands practically hidden inside of his overly long sleeves.

"Let me guess, your sending us to try and find him, right?"

" You've always been quite the sharp one haven't you, Gilbert. Yes, you all have been summoned to assist with this mission, but-"

"Wait a minute! What about my memories!" Alice stood up from her chair and slammed her fist down, startling Oz a bit at her loud disruption, but in a way, he could understand her concern, after all, if the seal was removed...she would slowly start fading, without accomplishing her goal.

" Don't worry Alice, even if we find a way to remove the seal, we won't do it until we find the rest of your memories." Oz sent the girl a large smile as he placed his hand onto hers, squeezing it a bit to reassure her.

"Oz! Don't make promises like that. Your seal only has a little bit of time left...at this rate you'll-"

" Calm down Gil, I'm sure we'll find Alice's memories long before the seal's complete."

" Don't be so sure, Oz. Wasn't it a year ago that you said the same thing...and that was when the clock was at the quarter point. If you don't mind...could you refresh my memory as to how many of Alice's memories you actually retrieved since then?"

"...Three...but that doesn't mean anything. I know we'll find them, and we won't give up until we do."

" My my, your optimistic personality hasn't faltered at all, has it?" Break said "_You mean his delusional stupidity_"

Hearing " Emily's" side comment caused Oz to cross his arms and mumble in anger.

" Please Emily, try to keep your opinions to yourself." Break chuckled before continuing on.

"One last thing. Miss Sharon has invited the three of you to dinner tonight; we need to discuss the details of the investigation a little further, so I'll be seeing you at six thirty sharp, and not one minute later. Bye now." Break finished off the statement with a high pitched tone before slipping under the table and disappearing.

The three stood there in silence before Gilbert died out his cigarette and sighed.

" Oz, are you ready to go."

" Ah, yeah. I was thinking, maybe it would be nice to walk there instead."

" Walk..."

" Yeah, it would be fun." As soon as the cheerful words left his mouth, Oz looked over and noticed that Alice was half way out the dinning room. When she reached the door, Oz saw her look back with so much anger in her pretty eyes, that he felt a powerful shiver run through him; and it only subsided when the girl left the room.

" Jeezz...she's so damn difficult." Gilbert said mostly to himself.

Oz sighed and turned back to him, attempting to lift the mood again.

" So, are we walking or not?"

" We can't. We'd never make it back in time to go to Sharon's house. Next time, Ok." Gilbert smiled then flicked the boy's forehead before walking out of the room.

Oz watched him leave with a smile on his face, knowing that it didn't matter what Gilbert's answer was, because Oz already made pre-plans for them that day.

**XXX**

As they sat in the carriage waiting for the servant to get in the front and take off, Oz slid over to the edge of his seat and moved next to the door. Gilbert looked at him with a curious stare, and when the carriage started slowly moving, Oz quickly opened the door, and prepared himself to jump out before they gained to much speed.

" Oz! What are you-"

Oz carefully leapt out of the carriage and rolled gently on the ground, chuckling a bit when he looked back at Gilbert who was still in the carriage preparing to do the same thing; Oz knew he would. When the older man jumped out he rolled on the ground as well, and tried to get to his feet to chase after the carriage and stop it; but Oz ran up to him and covered his mouth before Gilbert could alert the driver of their escape.

" Oz, why did you do that? What if you got hurt!" Gilbert reprimanded the boy, but all Oz could do was grab his hand and smile, choosing to lead the man toward the woods.

" Because...I have something I want to show you today. It's a surprise."

" Oz, your uncle's going to kill me if he finds out I didn't -"

" Relax Gil. We can go to there tomorrow...and my uncle won't be back for two days, he'll never know."

Oz gave Gilbert a sunny smile to help make him feel better about the whole thing; it seemed to work enough to quiet the man.

" Where are we going?"

" If I tell you, you won't be surprised when we get there."

He heard Gilbert sigh in defeat, and they continued walking on in silence. It was hot and humid that day, enough to make Gilbert take off his gloves and regret not bringing his hat.

Gilbert noticed that as they got deeper into the woods Oz would keep checking different trees, each one had a black mark on it. And every time they would come across one, Oz would make a satisfied sound. At some point they stopped briefly, and they both turned when they heard a rustling sound.

Gilbert skillfully pulled out his gun and aimed it in the direction of the noise, but Oz only laughed at the man and put his hands on the top of the gun to encourage the black haired man to put it away.

" It was probably just a bird, Gil. Come on, we're here anyway."

" We are?"

" Yup, it's just beyond those trees."

They both made the short walk through the trees until Oz declared their arrival.

"We're here! What do you think?"

They both let their eyes wander over the beauty of the area, watching how the sun seized every chance to softly enter the gaps between the high tree branches, and bounced brilliantly off of the sharp green leaves of vegetation. There was a large and particularly captivating weeping willow that sat a little ways from the river, long leaves sweeping the patchy grass that lay at the base of it.

Oh, and the river of course. It wasn't anything overly spectacular, but it was pretty. The water ran slowly, and was about knee deep. It also had crisp clarity, allowing them to see straight through to the water glossed rocks that slept quietly at the bottom of it.

"I never knew there was a spot like this near the mansion..." Gil said in astonishment, still trying to take in the mystifying feeling that the place had.

"I didn't know either, until me and Ada got lost a few weeks ago. Do you like it?"

Oz watched how Gil smiled and nodded in approval, making the blond's veins twist up in pleasure as he admired Gil's pure sun filled eyes; the same eyes that seemed to always make Oz's breath halt from glimpsing into them.

" Come on Gil, let's go in the water!" Oz said in excitement.

" No thanks, I don't swim."

" Aww, you're not still mad about that time you fell out the boat, are you?" Oz teased.

"...You pushed me out the boat!" Gilbert growled out, fist clenched and his right eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

" Oh yeah...I forgot." Oz chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head, recalling the incident. " But you won't be swimming this time, just come put your feet in. It will feel great, I promise!" Oz chirped as he took hold of Gil's hand and tried to guide him to the water.

Gilbert had a reluctant look on his face, but after a few minutes he followed Oz to the river bank and sat down to remove his shoes and roll up his black pants. Oz did the same, kicking his shoes off and getting in without hesitation.

" Ahhh...this is great!" Oz mused as he waded through the fresh water.

The ebony hair man carefully placed his feet into the water and let the cold liquid rush past his ankles. Gil closed his eyes in contentment and sighed once he was use to it.

" See. It's not so bad, right?" Oz said with a wide smile, eyes closed and head cocked slightly to the side. When he opened his eyes, he saw the very faint blush tiptoe to the surface of the handsome man's face, but what was more gratifying was the smile that Gil had, a shy, yet affirming smile that gave Oz the answer he was looking for.

For a while they enjoyed the water in a calm silence, but when Oz got up and stretched his arms, walking further into the river as he did so, Gil silently got up and shoved the boy gently, shocked to see that the blond lost his footing and landed in the water with a large splash.

" AH! It's Cold!" Oz yelled as he tuned wide eye to his chuckling servant. Oz continued to sit in the water, briefly disconnected because his heart was ensnared by the wonderful sound of Gilbert's echoing laughter. Shaking away his temporary daze, Oz laughed out too, finally taking the hand that Gilbert had offered him so he could get up.

"That wasn't fair, Gil." Oz said the words with feign kiddyish anger…but he couldn't stop laughing in between.

" It's payback for that time at the lake, now we're even."

Gilbert chuckled once more before ruffling Oz's blond hair and leaving the water, making his way over to the massive willow tree to sit.

Right when Gil sat down, Oz ran up to him and accurately leapt onto the man's lap, causing Gilbert to curse out loud at the surprise attack and the cold feeling of water dripping from Oz's soaked clothes, onto his dry ones.

"Oz! Get off, you're-" Gilbert stopped himself in mid sentence, watching how Oz continued to laugh as he remove his drenched white shirt and toss it onto the grass beside them. Suppressing an oncoming blush, Gil dared himself to look over the boy's delicate form, eyes traveling from the middle of his stomach up to his chest, where his golden orbs froze on the image of the black clock like seal; that only had a quarter left on it before it would be deemed complete.

" Gil?"

Oz watched the pain surface in Gilbert's eyes, as he followed the man's strained gaze and saw that he was looking at his seal. He could tell that Gilbert was extremely disturbed by how much the clock had progressed. This fact made Oz want to kick himself, he was usually very careful not to let anyone see the seal, but, he completely forgot about it in the mist of the fun he was having.

Oz watched Gil bring his hand up to his bare chest, allowing his fingers to skim over the surface of the seal before letting his warm palm rest there with a defeated look on his face.

Oz always hated when Gilbert was sad. When they were children and his friend would cry on his behalf he could feel his chest caving in from the sight. That's why he would try to quickly make him feel better, before the pain consumed them both.

The blond finally brought his right hand up and placed it on top the hand that Gilbert had his chest, and he allowed his other hand to caress the side of Gil's smooth cheek, causing the man to look up at him.

With slow and cautious grace, Oz leaned down and kissed the corner of Gilbert's mouth, holding his lips there and savoring the invasion of warmth and excitement that he felt surround his body. A few seconds passed before Oz moved back to finally see the reaction that Gil had; from the experience that Oz finally had the courage to create.

" Oz..." Gilbert whispered his name in a shocked tone, eyes wide as he stared at the boy's loving expression. Quickly, Gilbert averted his frantic eyes to the side, and brought his hands to the ground. The previous blush that he successfully stopped before came back four fold and slid across his face with deep redness. His nervousness and confusion caused his fingers to grip the moss on the ground, destroying its green velvety surface until his trembling fingertips dug deep into the fleshy brown earth.

After taking a shaky breath, he spoke quietly; still not looking at the dazzling blond that was still sitting on him.

" Oz...You shouldn't do things like that. It's not right."

" Really? And why is that?" Oz tried hard to keep his tone light and even, as to not allow his fear of Gilbert's next words come out in his voice.

" Your...I'm, a servant and...You're-"

" The master?"

" Yes. I'm not worthy of-"

Oz chuckled with relief, causing Gilbert to stop taking. He thought the man was going to say something else, like mention the fact that they were male, or worst, say that he didn't like it. But no, Gilbert was Gilbert, always thinking in terms of their statuses, and what was and wasn't appropriate behavior because of that.

"But Gil...I'm your friend too, remember?"

Gilbert nodded, finally letting his eyes travel back to the beautiful boy, taking in the sight of his light green eyes and trembling a bit at the lovely smile he saw on his pale lips.

" Still, we shouldn't-"

" Did you like it?"

" W-what?"

" Did you like when I kissed you?"

When Gilbert's blush came back, Oz could tell that the man was struggling to keep from saying yes. But when Oz gave him an encouraging smile, he was finally able to extract an embarrassed nod from him; and just admitting that seemed to take the life out of the man.

Oz leaned his forehead against his friends and looked deep in his eyes before he spoke.

"Then it's OK to do it."

" I..Oz's..."

Gilbert was hushed when he felt Oz lean down and kiss his cheek, his light breath flowing evenly over his heated skin, causing Gilbert to hold his breath in rigid anticipation.

It was everything he thought it would be, to be that close to the boy, no, it was much much better, and when the blond planted another kiss closer to his mouth, Gilbert's eyes slid closed and he released his contained breath in a half sigh.

Gil slowly pulled away from the boys wonderful lips and gently brought his arms around Oz's back, whispering his name and bringing him into a firm embrace. He could feel Oz nestle comfortably into the crook of his neck, and he ran his trembling fingers through his blond hair affectionately.

As the sat there in silence, a violent happiness took over them, both of them dazed at the unbelievable feeling that that moment was bringing them; there in that secret place in the woods.

**OOO**

While she stood there watching them, Alice could barely feel her body sliding down the side of the tree. The nightmarish sight seemed to draw the strength out of her legs, while her small body shook with overbearing emptiness.

She should have never followed the pair. She should have stayed behind and disregarded her prickling curiosity when she caught them sneaking off into the woods…instead of staying in the carriage.

Why did it have to be that way? She was B-Rabbit! Feared and envied by every chain in the Abyss. Not only that, but she was strong, able to take any type of blow received in battle, and laugh it off without a second thought. But obviously not this kind of blow; because there she was, fallen weakly to her knees and reduced to a pool of cold jealousy, and slicing rejection.

What did Oz want? What did Gilbert have that she couldn't give to Oz...? Was it a past? Was it because they shared something long before Alice was drawn from the dark depths of her lonely prison? She knew she couldn't give Oz a past, but, maybe she could give him something better; like a future.

And as far as the affection he was sharing with Gilbert, she could give him that too...if that's what he was looking for.

She too shared a kiss with Oz, though that time it was mostly for business purposes as the binding of the contract would call for, but it didn't mean she didn't enjoy it; it didn't mean that she would never do it again if given the chance.

But it was too late for that, the way they were holding each other, it had to be far too late.

So she ran. She ran with her eyes heavy from battling to retain her brimming tears, while swearing she wouldn't look back. She couldn't. For one, people only look back when their leaving something behind, or when they think their being followed. But neither was the case.

Oz had not been aware of her watching, so of course he wouldn't follow, and even if he did know she was there...would he dare leave the arms of that...that man? An as far as leaving something behind, it was only pain that laced that trail, nothing to glimpse back at because it ran with her, resided in her, like the image of their lips on the verge of connecting under the weeping willow.

Her small chest began to burn as she got deeper into the woods, heart sinking with every labored breath and without realizing it, she had stopped. She didn't know how deeply she ran into the woods, most likely off the path that Oz made.

She must have reached the mouth of the river, because the water looked more like a pond. It was quiet there, only the sound of the birds flapping and wailing every few seconds. Alice walked up to the side of the river and looked down at her reflection, studying the dynamics of her face and the paleness of her skin.

A part of her felt that she would have been better off never creeping out of the Abyss, never meeting Oz. Because loneliness was enough of a burden when it was limited to fantasizing about what companionship would be like, but it transformed it something different when you experience it _after_ feeling the happiness of having someone there. And then for that someone to disregard you, and place their heart in someone else's hands...

Alice felt anger take over her like the moon eclipsing the sun, blocking out everything pure, and filling it in with dark callousness. She walked into the river until the water was up to her upper thighs, slamming her hands down into the water and destroying the image that was herself...whoever she was.

Water splashed in every direction, and her grunts and breaths of aggression viciously disturbed the peace that once resided in that hidden spot in the woods. She hated everything, the stupid feelings she had for Oz, and the dumb seaweed haired man that successfully stole the blond away from her

Everything.

But her tantrum was soon ended when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. It was the voice of the clown…out of all people; he was not the one she wanted to see.

Alice knew that Break had a knack for evoking negative feelings, or better yet, adding to preexisting ones. And he also liked instigating tension between people, using his ability to "tell it like it is" with very few words; but only after looping his sentences, and speaking in half statements, half of them filled with riddle like meanings and "Emily's" annoying interjections. A complete weirdo he was and most definitely a wack job of the greatest kind.

" Why, Miss Alice, what seems to be the trouble?" His voice sounded full of fake surprise and phony concern, which angered Alice in more ways than she needed.

She glared hard at the man with wet clothes clinging heavy to her skin.

" What the hell do you want, clown!?" She yelled.

" Nothing. This meeting was completely coincidental. I just so happened to be in the area when I noticed you attacking the river...any particular reason why?"

" It's none of your damn business..." Alice tried to say the words with anger and seriousness, but her voice came out weaker than she wanted, but not too weak. So she looked away from him and crossed her arms, impatiently waiting for him to leave.

"Alice…" Break called in an even voice.

Alice saw that the man had taken off his jacket and was holding it up for her to take once she decided to finally come back to the river bank. For a minute, she was only able to look at the indifferent expression on the clowns face, noticing how the sunlight hit his white hair and made the stands appear to shimmer a little.

Eventually, she walked back to the bank; however, she walked right past him, flinging her long brown hair behind her shoulder in an arrogant manner; without taking the jacket offering. She choose to sit against a large oak tree with her knees drawn to her chest, refusing to allow her teeth to chatter while she was in his company; or more accurately, while _he_ was in _her_ company.

A slender shadow blocked out the sun light, but she knew was the clown, so she turned her head away as a silent refusal to engage in meaningless conversation with him.

" You know, Alice...it may not be too late, he's more divided then you think." This comment made Alice turn her head in interest, looking up at the clowns smirking face with hard eyes, but she also had too much pride behind her lips to ask him to go on.

" But I don't think playing in the river will get you any closer to him." Break whispered down to her in a half hushed half amused voice.

" Shut-up...how would you know what I want. You're a clown; nothing you say can be taken seriously... so go away." The last part of her statement trailed off a little, as she looked down and tried to ignore him, concentrating instead on the large twisted tree roots that resided near her white boots.

She heard Break let out a light chuckle, and then she jumped a little when his white jacket landed on her bent knees.

" I suppose I'll be seeing you at dinner tonight, Miss Alice."

" Ha! What makes you think that? I already decided that I'm not going." Alice said without looking up.

" Oh, but you must. Because if you don't, how will you return my jacket? And I do want it back."

Alice's head shot up in attempts to locate the mad man and give him back the jacket, removing the obligation of bringing it to him at dinner.

" Just take it then! I don't need your stupid-" She stopped yelling when she noticed that the man was gone.

Alice stood up and scanned the woods, nothing, he was definitely gone. So she huffed in aggression and sat back down, checking the area with her eyes once more, so she knew she wasn't being watched...before slowly taking the white jacket and wrapping it around herself like a blanket; half noting that the sweet smell of rose tea lingered lightly in the warm material.

But she tried not to think about that, actually smirking at the idea of returning the jacket to him, in less than mint condition.

**XXX**

The carriage ride to the Rainsworth estate was extremely quite. Oz observed how disconnected Alice appeared, not once did she open her mouth to complain about hunger, or even start a fight with Gil. The girl's eyes remained out the window, with her face in her palm as she leaned against the carriage door, feet crossed at the ankles and kicked up on the seat across from her.

Oz didn't understand it, he knew she was angry earlier, but it would usually wear off as the day went on, but not that day.

It was also odd that she was sitting on what looked like Break's jacket, though, it was covered in grass stains and had massive amounts of muddy smudges.

" Hey, Alice. Are you feeling alright?"

Alice turned to him with a blank expression, "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Oz almost believed her, but her reply didn't match her expression. Her amethyst irises remained far away and emotionless, almost reminding him of the void look he saw in Echo's eyes, whenever he bumped into the numb girl.

After fifteen minutes of trying to decipher Alice's new mood, and trying to keep his mind from floating back to he and Gil's secret day, they had already arrived a their destination.

When the trio reached the front door, it opened right away, revealing a smiling Break who greeted them accordingly.

" Right on time I see. Come right in, Miss Sharon is waiting in the dinning hall."

" Great, I'm starving." Oz said, stretching his arms to the back of his head and smiling brightly as he moved passed Break and into the house with Gilbert; half noting that Alice lingered behind near Break.

After a few moments Oz stopped walking to look back at the pair, watching Alice literally throw the jacket at the white haired man before attempting to storm off. But what really caught Oz's attention was the way Break grabbed the girl's upper arm, as he leaned down and whispered something to her.

He saw Alice's eyes widen at whatever was being said to her, then she gave one of her wicked smiles before ripping out of the mans hold, and mouthing something that looked like the words " Like you would know" before laughing evilly at the smirking man. Regardless of how weird the interaction was, it did seem to pull Alice out of her dull mood, something Oz had failed to do that day. Strange.

" Oz...Oz?"

" Huh?"

" What's wrong." Gilbert said with concern, seeing the lost look disappearing off of Oz's perfect face.

" Nothing, guess I'm just tired."

Oz started walking again trying to push down the uneasy feeling he was having. And Gilbert followed behind him, looking back at Alice who was now walking in their direction.

" Got a problem, seaweed head?"

"Do you?...stupid rabbit." Gil mumbled before turning away.

As they made their way into the dinning room, Sharon smiled up at them as she finished taking a sip of her tea, sitting pink and pretty as always.

" I'm glad you could all make it, please have a seat."

Since Sharon was at the head of the table, Gilbert chose to sit adjacent to her, and Oz sat next to him. Alice sat across from Oz, and there was one seat left next to Sharon, which Break took, placing him in between Sharon and Alice.

" I invited you all here because-"

Sharon stopped talking when she noticed that Alice had already made herself a large plate of food, complete with options of chicken and beef, two baked buns smothered in butter, and one leaf of lettuce. Sharon smiled at the girl, and giggled a bit at her impatience. When Alice was about to take her first bite of chicken, she noticed everyone starting at her.

"What?"

" Stupid Rabbit, it's rude to just start eating like that." Gilbert yelled to the girl diagonal from him.

" It's for us isn't it? Are we supposed to just sit and look at it! And don't yell at me like that, I swear I'll-"

" It's fine, Miss Alice. In fact, everyone can begin eating. Please excuse me for rushing into business before allowing everyone to get settled with dinner."

" You don't have to apologize, Sharon. We know it's important." Oz assured her, as he reached to make himself a plate.

Everyone followed suit and made their plates as well, and when they began eating, Sharon continued on.

" As I was saying. Pandora is eager to confirm whether or not the rumors are true-"

" About the man who got rid of his seal." Gilbert said a bit too excitedly, causing Oz to look in Alice's direction to make sure the girl didn't react too negatively to his tone. Unfortunately, it didn't get past her, but she rolled her eyes and continued eating.

" Correct. There's been talk of a middle man named Edgar Harpsfield who has a connection to the whereabouts of the man in question. Because he's a noble we deiced to corner him casually by throwing a Ball here at the Rainsworth manor; since this estate is the most neutral for everyone to gather at."

" A Ball...when?" Oz said with curiosity.

"A week from this Saturday. If were able to get the information that night, then we can make our move to locate the other man, and take him into custody."

" Why not just find him and ask without taking the man in. He hasn't done anything wrong."

" It's not that simple, Oz. The information that he has is quite valuable, and if it were that easy we wouldn't have to go to this extent to search for him. He's obviously hiding at the moment."

" And he _was_ an illegal contractor, after all..." Break added, as he scooped cake onto his fork and placed it in his mouth, deliberately eyeing Oz and Alice as if to make a point and remind them about their status.

" So. I would like you all to prepare for that night, and stay alert for any updates in the mean time." Sharon concluded.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Oz sneakily reached for Gilbert's hand under the table, causing the man to jump a little at the contact. And of course, he failed to hold back his blush almost as much as Oz struggled to hold back a chuckle after witnessing his reaction. Even still, the raven haired man held his hand firmly under the table and continued to eat like everyone else.

**OOO**

Alice didn't know when she became so observant, but her curiosity was sparked once again when she noticed the seaweed head blushing at the table for no reason, and Oz smiling sweetly at him. So, she investigated.

While Oz was preoccupied with protecting his desert from Break's greedy hands, she slipped a large butter knife off the table and placed it next to her thigh, looking down at it and maneuvering it so that the refection on the knife would reveal whether or not they....they were, she spotted it. Right in the reflection of the metal was Oz's hand intertwined with Gilbert's.

Alice clenched the knife tightly in her hand, looking back up and instantly meeting Gilbert's knowing eyes. She supposed she could agree with Break when he had said that Gilbert was a sharp one, because he seemed to definitely know what she discovered.

Oh, the glare that they were giving each other was like a war of the bloodiest kind. And she knew that the man was probably gripping Oz's hand even tighter as a possessive reaction. That thought made her stomach turn.

As for everyone at the table, especially Gilbert, they were fortunate that it wasn't a sharp blade she was holding...because she was certainly feeling dangerous at that moment. She couldn't continue sitting there like that, not unless she wanted to keep her sanity.

Alice place the knife back on the table and got up with a fake yawn, attempting to down play the sorrow and anger that may have been on her face. Then she causally began to head to the doors.

" Alice?" Oz called out.

" Bathroom." She said dismissively and walked through the double doors.

As soon as she was out, she walked quickly down the hall and looked for the door outside. When she reached the doors she pushed though them with more force than necessary, almost stumbling outside. When she looked around, she was tempted to just run somewhere…anywhere. But she settled for sitting on the steps and looking up at the stars; silently threatening herself not to cry again.

" Did you get lost on your way to the bathroom? I can accompany you there if you like."

Without looking over, Alice huffed in anger before she spoke.

" Why do you keep following me, don't you have a circus to prepare for or something!"

" That such a rude thing to say to someone who's only trying to help you. "

" Help?...Ha! You mean help make things worst, right?"

" Not at all, I just came to offer you a bit of information that might just help your...situation."

Alice looked over at him; finally ready too listen to the weird man's offering.

" Well, spit it out then."

The mad man came to sit next to her on the steps and looked up at the sky apathetically before speaking.

" Did Oz ever tell you that he once fancied Miss Sharon?"

" He...He did?"

" Yes, right before he was dropped into the Abyss."

When Alice really thought about it, she remembered that Oz use to get kind of crazy over the girl when they first came back from the Abyss, but it slowly subsided as the years went to on.

Alice flinched a little when she felt Break's overly soft hand come up to cup her cheek and turn her face toward his so he could study it.

"Personally, I think you're quite beautiful, so I'm sure looks don't stop Oz from liking you...in _that_ way at least." Break said, as he absently caressed the side of the girls face.

The touch place Alice in the slightest haze, making her notice things she shouldn't, like how ridiculously gentle the man was being, and how her heart was starting to speed up. But she broke out of it enough to lightly shoo his hand away. Only to notice that the crazy man wasn't put off in the least, and lazily began to twirl the tips of her hair around his fingers instead.

"What is it then?" She urged.

" You tell me, Miss Alice. What make you different from Miss Sharon?"

" A lot of things, I guess." Alice looked back at the stars. "But Oz said...that he likes me the way I am."

" Ah yes, he does like you as you are. But..."

"But what?" She said impatiently, turning back to him. Not overly surprised when she saw the man smirk and lean in close enough to whisper it to her.

"_But_...maybe you being as you are, keeps you a friend in his eyes....and nothing more." With that, Break pulled away all together sitting back regularly against the stairs, before sipping a lollypop from his sleeve and unwrapping it.

" What am I supposed to do then..." Alice said half to herself.

" It's up too you. You could choose to disregard this whole conversation if you want, either way, it doesn't matter to me." Break said with a sigh, and a lick of his candy.

Alice sucked her teeth and looked away from him.

" Then why did you say all of this to me?"

" _It's getting cold out here." _"Emily"said.

"Yes it is Emily. Well, do come in soon, Miss Alice. Since you destroyed my jacket, I have nothing to offer you if you get cold." Break said before getting up to go back inside, deliberately dropping three wrapped candies as he did so.

Alice clenched her fist angrily at the blatant way the man disregard her question, and used his Emily voice to do it…out of all things.

" Wait!"

When the man reached the door he stopped short before his hand touched the knob.

" Yes?"

" Sharon is always trying to teach me about being a lady and all that... do you think she..."

" I'm sure she would love to take you under her wing, if that's what you mean."

" How soon?"

" Whenever you like. I'll let her know to expect you."

" Umm...Ok." It was hard to get out the words thank you, so she settled for that.

She saw the man give her a smile before he slid back into the house. Once he was gone, Alice looked down at the steps, seeing the candies that were dropped there. One was green, the other was yellow, and the last one was a dark purple color. She picked up the green one and rolled it across her fingers.

Maybe this was for the best, learning a thing or two about being a lady or whatever, it might just work, Oz might just take notice to her and finally...

She brought her hand to her face, tracing the spot that Break had caressed only minutes before. She should have punched him square in the face for touching her so easily, but she didn't, maybe if his hands weren't so damn soft...she would have been able to concentrate on hitting him.

* * *

How was it ?? Let me know what you think. Next chapters already in progress. Oh yeah, I know Break seems really messed up by saying that stuff, but theres a reason he said all of that to Alice, it's essential for the plot.

Thanks For Reading

-Rage


	2. Silver Spoons and Forks

Hey there :) *Waving*

**I am so sorry about messing up Oz's name in the last chapter. I noticed that I kept putting an 's at the end of his name at unnecessary times. I think this was due to his name ending with a Z and me not realizing since the 'S was blending with the Z sound... anyway, I'll try an be more careful from now on and please excuse the ones I didn't catch yet *Rips hair out in embarrassment***

_Disclaimer; I do not own Pandora Hearts._

_

* * *

  
_

**XXX Silver Spoons and Forks XXX**

_His body was sinking; half of it in the world of the living, and half of it being sucked in by the Abyss. He reached out in search of something to grab hold of so he could escape from the portal that was attempting to absorb his body, and take him back to…that place. _

_Oz could hear a deep voice calling his name but it was hard to hear over the wailing beneath him; it was all of those souls that were condemned to the Abyss. No...He didn't want to be one of them; he didn't want to get taken back._

"_Oz! Don't leave me here...I don't want to go back alone."_

_A pleading voice came from beneath him, causing Oz to feel extremely conflicted. He knew that girl's voice, and he also knew if he didn't keep his head above the pink shifting passage, that he would lose his last bit of strength to keep from being sucked in. _

"_Master...Grab my hand!" The deep voice came again, but this time Oz was staring back at golden eyes. He tried to reach his hand out to grab Gil's, but something grabbed his leg, yanking it hard and bringing his body down a few more feet into the "Way". _

_Oz dared himself to look down, seeing Alice's crying eyes and reaching hands. _" _Please Oz...don't leave me here." Alice's whisper hit his ears louder than the cries that came from the Abyss; and the sorrow in her voice nearly rivaled Gilbert's demand for Oz to take his hand._

_But what could he do? He had the chance to escape if he took Gilbert's hand, then maybe...but what about Alice? He couldn't just leave her there...could he?_

**XXX**

Oz's body woke up before his mind did. He sat straight up in bed and grabbed the sides of his face in agony, panting sporadically before opening his eyes to see the darkness of his room.

"A dream?" I...was dreaming..."

He lifted himself from his plump mattress, placing his feet on the floor a little harder than necessary, just to make sure it was solid. He shook his head to get rid of the left over terror, but it didn't leave. His shaking hands searched the night table until he found the candle holder. He lit it, and set out to check on Alice and Gilbert.

Before he left his room, he grabbed the golden pocket watch and some matches and grasped them in his hand. Once he reached Alice's door he opened it quietly, only causing it to squeak twice before he was able to get into the room.

Said girl was curled up under the covers with her back turned to him. He reached his hand out to her, but before his hand made contact on her skin...she started talking in her sleep.

" Don't touch...me, clown face...bastard."

_What!_

Oz pulled his hand back, looking at the girl as though she had just turned into a pile of sand. Of course she was sleeping, but what she said seemed to imply so many things; things having to do with the eccentric white haired man they dare call their "comrade". Oz backed up slowly, while repressing an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.

_What was that about..._

Oz left the room, trying to write the incident off as left over hostility that she must have for the man. On his way down to Gilbert's room he checked his pocket watch. It was a little after mid-night, and even though he knew the time, he continued to stand there listening to the Lacie melody play sweetly in his ears before he closed it.

Oz placed his hand on Gilbert's door, but after a minute he sighed and turned a way from it; knowing that if he went into the room he wouldn't be able to resist climbing into the bed with the man.

He walked back down the hall; not with the intention of going back to his own bed, but deciding to leave the house all together. He was fully awake, and fully aware that he was too restless to go back to sleep.

Outside, the chilly summer air swirled around his naked ankles and slipped easy through his thin white button up shirt, like water leaking through paper. Not to mention that the wind blew out his candlelight; which was fine since he could see where he was going, and he also had the matches on him.

Oz couldn't tell if he had goose bumps from the cool air or because the nightmare was still on his mind; or a combination of the two.

Sometimes, the more Oz tried to remember his dreams the quicker the images faded, and all he'd be left with was the feeling it gave him and a general impression of what happened. But the dream he had just experienced was different; vivid and relevant; "true to life" as some would say.

But still, he didn't know why he was forced to choose something like that, in that situation of all things. Maybe the dream was a bit "too real" for his liking.

Oz stopped walking when he realized he was in the middle of the steps that lead to the temple of his coming of age ceremony. He looked over toward the city of Leverru, seeing flickers of lights in windows, but other than that the city was dark.

So he set back on his way; not to the temple, but to the underground grave site.

It was creepy near the grave at that time of night. So creepy, that Oz thought of turning back, but he still walked up to the grave anyway. He lit the candle once more and allowed it to illuminate the eerie cross shaped tombstone.

He studied it, half wondering if the Will of The Abyss would come up and seize him while he was vulnerable like that, but even with that thought, he still found himself lying down on the grass.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that the grass he was lying on was very lush and soft; nothing like the hard sun scorched grass that covered dry fields, and left imprints on the back of his legs when he sat on it.

He took in the image of the grave once more before he decided to rest his eyes, not believing that sleep would actually come back to him.

**-::::::::-**

Gilbert was nearly out of breath when he reached the top of the steps. Even though it wasn't hot outside, he was sweating; mostly from running around the house and then the mansion grounds looking for Oz.

A wave of relief came over him when he saw the glowing light of a candle, and he quietly walked down the steps until he saw a clear image of a sleeping Oz.

Gilbert sat down next to the boy and shook him lightly.

" Oz."

After a minute or two, Oz sleepily opened his clear green eyes.

" Gil...how did you know-"

" Lacie." Gilbert gestured over to the watch on the grass. " I heard it outside my room. When I went to check on you, you were gone."

" Wow. You really are a light sleeper." Oz said in a perky voice, sitting up to face the man; secretly taking note of the information for the future.

" Why are you out here in the middle of the night?"

" _Aww_, was Gil worried about me?" Oz said lightly.

" _Of course! _It took me fifteen minutes to search for you." Gilbert almost slammed his fist into the ground trying to get the seriousness of his answer across.

" Well…What do you think happened? That a trump card had me for dinner? Or that the Baskerville's kidnapped me? Or a viscous group of alley cats dragged me away? Or -"

" It's not a joke, Oz! Those things could actually happen..."

"Even the cats?"

" Oz!"

"Ok Ok...I didn't mean to worry you." Oz tried to laugh it off, but he could tell Gilbert was still shook up over it.

"Let's go back inside; you'll catch a cold out here."

Just the thought of going back inside so soon made Oz's body temperature drop, he wasn't ready to leave...not yet; not just to go back to sleep and relive such a...nightmare.

" Gil, you sound like Mrs. Kate." Oz laid sideways on the grass, dismissively turning his back to the man.

" I _don't _sound like her..."

" Ok, If you say so.."

Gilbert wasn't giving up, so he leaned over and rolled the boy onto his back, grabbed the candle holder and the pocket watch before taking Oz's hand and helping him to his feet.

At first, Gilbert began guiding the boy toward the dark stairwell so they could leave, but Oz only followed for a few steps until he let go of Gilbert's hand.

" Oz?"

Gilbert looked back at the boy with concern, and when he heard him speak, he knew that Oz was trying hard not to cause him to worry, but it wasn't working.

" It's OK... I'll be in soon." Oz said the words with a weak but assuring smile.

" You had a nightmare." It wasn't really a question Gilbert was asking, but more of a statement that was affirming the truth of the situation.

" What makes you think that?" Oz asked nervously.

Gilbert walked back toward the blond and looked him in the eyes.

" Why else would you be out in the middle of the night?"

" I couldn't sleep, that's all." Oz turned away from him, trying to escape with one of his long happy strides, "Besides...I like being out here at night, it's exciting and-"

Gilbert took hold of Oz's upper arm before the boy could move too far away. When Oz looked back, he saw Gilbert's serious stare piecing through the dim candlelight, then tear right passed his phony show, finally settling somewhere on the truth. And with that, Oz broke.

Slowly, Oz walked back toward the black haired man, letting down his guard and falling against Gilbert's strong chest; breathing in the lingering scent of tobacco, and the lighter scent of sandalwood that settled so nicely on Gilbert's skin.

Said man accepted the embrace whole heatedly, well, as much as one could with a hand that was occupied with holding a burning candlestick.

Gilbert stroked the boy's soft hair before speaking.

" I'll make you some tea."

" Tea...that sounds good. Will you have some with me?"

Oz felt Gilbert nod his head, before Oz finally decided to reclaim his hand and leave. Taking a quick glimpse back at what would have been his bed for the night...if Gilbert never found him.

**-::::::-**

When they got back in the house, Gilbert quickly made them some tea, moving around the dark kitchen with ease and feeling Oz's eyes on him the whole time, as the teen sat at the table and waited.

Gilbert poured two steamy cups of ginger tea, but instead of sitting down at the table, he motioned for Oz to follow him.

"I thought you were having tea with me."

"I am. Just not in here."

The raven haired man led the boy back to his own bedroom. He put the cups down, and fixed Oz's bed so the blond could get in it. When Oz got the hint, he crawled in the bed and sat up against the pillows, while Gilbert fixed the covers over him and handed him his tea.

Gilbert sat on the side of Oz's bed, and for a while, they both drank in silence. When Oz noticed that Gilbert was getting up to leave, he internally panicked and spat out his request.

" Wait Gil! I ...want you to sleep in here tonight."

" …"

At first, Gilbert couldn't really respond, a flashback played in his head of the last time they did that. Of course they were still young, and it was Gilbert who was scared of sleeping alone. But it didn't stop Mrs. Kate from finding them and practically ripping Gilbert's ear off as she snatched him from the bed the next morning; scolding him about how improper it was for him to even think of doing such a thing with his master.

Seeing the pleading look in Oz's eyes made him unable to say no, but it didn't mean he wouldn't take precautions.

" ...alright, I'll stay." Gilbert said, blushing a little at the thought.

He retrieved a pillow from Oz's bed then placed it on the floor.

" Gil...What are you doing?"

" Sleeping on the floor."

Oz struggled to suppress a laugh from entering into his response.

" I meant _in_ the bed, not next to it." Oz covered his mouth to keep from laughing too loud.

" But...what if...someone comes in here. I can already feel Mrs. Kate's hands choking me...or that stupid rabbit's boot stepping on my face..." As the man spoke, Oz could tell he was caught up in one of his angry reminiscent thoughts, fist clenched and brow twitching.

" You're so dramatic, Gil." Oz chuckled as he sat up on his knees to rise to Gilbert's level. The man was caught off guard when Oz leaned forward and grabbed his shirt, pulling Gil toward him until he lost his balance and fell on the bed; but mostly on top of Oz's legs.

Oz burst into a fit of laughter, watching Gilbert trying to gather himself again.

" If you're that worried… just tell them that you were sleep walking and you don't remember coming in here."

Gilbert chuckled at the comment, before climbing onto the bed fully, blowing out the candle and lying on his side facing Oz.

" No one's stupid enough to believe that...except that chain." With that, the man turned over facing the wall instead of the beauty beside him, that's when he felt Oz pull the blankets over him; since Gilbert choose to lay on top of them at first.

After a few moments of comfortable silence Oz spoke.

"Hey Gil...when are you and Alice going to get along...I mean, it's been two years."

Gilbert stayed quite and prayed for Oz to let go of his question. He couldn't tell him the truth. Honestly, how was he supposed to get along with someone/thing that was eventually going to take Oz away from him? And if Gilbert was really unlucky, it would be in more ways than just taking his master to the Abyss.

" _Giiiillll? _I know you're still awake, I can hear you grinding your teeth." Oz said the words playfully as he poked his index between the man's shoulder blades to get his attention.

Gilbert gave up his silence and turned to the boy, propping himself up on his elbow and looking down at him through the dark. He didn't need the light to know Oz was smiling at him; this made Gilbert kind of happy that he couldn't see it fully, because he would of gotten lost in it.

" Go to sleep, Oz. Or you'll never wake up to go in town with me."

" Yes I will. We can talk all night and I'll still (yawn) wake up."

" Goodnight, Oz." Gilbert ground out the words, trying to get the stubborn blond to comply...and finally he did; but not before snuggling closer to Gilbert's body, wrapping one of his arms around he ravens waist and whispering good night.

**OOO**

Alice got up before the sun. Dressed quickly and left her bedroom. She wanted to make her departure fast, because if she thought about it too much, she would most definitely change her mind. Before she reached the door outside, she heard someone's footsteps behind her. At first she wanted to ignore the mystery person, but then the thought of it being Oz made her want to turn around.

" Alice...what are you doing up so early?" A feminine voice said softly behind her.

" I'm going out for a few hours...Tell Oz I'll be back by dinner."

" Do you need a carriage to take you? I can have-"

" It's fine, I'd rather walk."

" Umm...Ok. Be careful then." Mrs. Kate said with slight concern.

Alice nodded and took her leave, walking out into the early morning air without glancing back at the massive mansion.

She knew the way to Sharon's mansion, and though she began her walk with confidence about where she was going, she was slowly filling with doubt about why she was going in the first place.

_This is so stupid! What if it doesn't even work...then that clown will get a good laugh...and that sea scum will..._

Alice came to a stop on the path. She stood there trying to get rid of her negative thoughts before taking a deep breath and walking again.

_No, I'll make this work...it has too..._

**-:::::::-**

Alice was only half relieved when she reached the Rainsworth estate. It had taken her a half an hour to complete the walk; however, when she walked up the steps she stood there for a moment; steadily losing all of her self-assurance.

It wasn't too late to turn back, the sun was barely up, and everyone in the house was probably still asleep. Alice took a step away from the door before turning around and hurrying down the steps. She couldn't do it...she-

" Miss Alice?"

Alice skid to a stop, turning to meet Break's blank stare. She swallowed hard and turned on her sassy attitude before any cowardice could be detected in her face.

" I never knew clowns didn't sleep." She said with a malevolent smirk.

" And I didn't know rabbits could run so fast." "_Rabbits don't run, they hop" "_That's true Emily, how could I have forgotten."

"Bastard!" Alice yelled while charging up the stairs, fist pulled back and ready to connect with the man's face. But Break caught her wrist before it hit him, skillfully using his hold on Alice's arm to roughly pull the girl against his body while he spoke lowly in her ear.

"...We must keep our voices down, Miss Sharon is still asleep."

Alice was frozen there for a moment, mind still trying to catch up to Break's fast movements, while trying to find a smart retort...and through all of that, still attempting to fight her thoughts about how warm Break's body was.

" Then _don't _insult me." She said harshly.

" What a hypocritical request..." Break said, releasing Alice's body so abruptly that she almost lost her balance on the steps.

" Are you coming in?"

Alice gave a hesitant nod, before following Break into the quiet house. She followed the man up the carpeted steps and down the cream wall papered hall before they ended up in a bedroom.

" You still look tiered Alice. You can rest in here until Miss Sharon is awake."

" Is there anything to -"

" Eat? Why yes there is." "_We have plenty of carrots in the kitchen" _Emily said smartly, causing Break to chuckle lightly at the rabbit joke.

" I meant _meat _you idiot!"

Before she could speak again, Break gracefully walked up to the girl and firmly covered her mouth with his palm. Alice was a little shocked at the gesture, and when she looked up into his red gaze, she swore she saw a flicker of something dark and predatory swirl in his ambivalent stare.

" What do I have to do to keep that loud mouth of yours quiet, hum?" Break said, running his soft thumb over the girl's lips for emphasis...or maybe it was more of a suggestion of what he could do.

For whatever reason, Alice blushed at the man's words...even though nothing in his question was overtly suggestive, his movements and tone were; and of course, that look in his eyes…what was that look!?

Instead of feeding into him, she smacked his hand away and smirked.

" Make me some breakfast, and I'll consider keeping my mouth shut."

" Fair enough. I'll be back shortly...please, make yourself at home." Break smirked as he turned to leave the room.

Alice roamed around the lightly decorated room, fingertips gliding over the cherry wood dresser while viewing the burgundy couch and a large bed that sat against the wall.

Unfortunately, Break was right when he said she was still tiered, so she headed over to the bed and laid on her stomach, hoping to catch a few minutes of sleep before the maniac came back with whatever concoction he was wiping up...Alice half wondered if he really was going to bring back carrots just to spite her.

**XXX**

Oz woke up alone in his bed, disappointed when he remembered that Gilbert should have been lying beside him. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, swinging his legs over the bed and automatically stepping on something warm and dense.

" Oww..." said the muffled voice on the floor.

Oz yanked his foot back and looked down, watching Gilbert sit up and rub his nose from the accidental crushing.

" Gil! What are you doing down there. I told you, you could sleep in the bed."

" I was...but I heard Mrs. Kate walking around, so.."

" So you jumped on the floor and tried to look innocent." Oz laughed hard at his own statement, sliding to the floor to sit next to the blushing servant.

Gilbert tried to look away from the blond in embarrassment, but Oz wouldn't let him; turning Gilbert's cheek so he was looking in his golden eyes again.

" Is it so wrong to lay with me?" Oz asked tilting his head slightly.

" um..no..I..."

" Then you're innocent." Once the words left his mouth, Oz planted a chaste peck on the man's lips before getting up and stretching. His sigh carried a sort of melody as he made his way out the room; peaking back quickly at the awestruck raven; before he smirked and left.

For a complete seven minutes, Gilbert's stare never left the bedroom door, nor did he move, and his finger tips didn't leave his tingling lips either. Half of his mind was aware that Oz just kissed him...on the lips. But the other half of his mind was still shut down, not ready to come to terms with the incredible happening. Did it really happen? Or were his hidden desires making him delusional?

Whatever the case, his heart still swelled to capacity, and his stomach twisted in knots of trembling gratefulness...and as he finally got up, he left the room elated; knowing nothing could bring him down from that high, not when he was just kissed but the person who was the object of his affection for over 13 years...and always would be.

**-:::::::-**

Oz wandered down the hallway trying to turn off his sneaky smile so no one got suspicious if they just so happen to see him lighting up the hall with his glowing aura. Even if it was a small kiss, he was already addicted to Gilbert's lips, along with everything else about the man.

On his way to the dinning room, Oz passed by Alice's door and noticed that Mrs. Kate was in there making the bed.

" Good morning, Mrs. Kate!" He said cheerfully, catching the woman off guard and causing her to hold her hand over her heart.

" Oz, you startled me…Good morning." She said happily before continuing her task.

"Where's Alice?"

" She left early this morning. She said she would be back by dinner." Mrs. Kate said as she stood up from making her perfect mitered corner with the bed sheets.

"Really? That's not like her…"

Oz couldn't stop his eyes from becoming distant as he briefly thought over where the girl could have gone. It didn't feel right. Alice never left without telling him. Actually, the girl never went anywhere without him. That's how it always was…until now.

"I'm sure she's fine, Oz. There's no reason to worry about it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Oz faked a smile and tried to suppress his anxiety.

_That's right, Alice can take care of herself…I'll just ask her about it later…_

"Are you ready for breakfast?" The woman said with a motherly smile as she approached the boy and rested her hand on his shoulder.

" Yeah...but I have to eat quick. I'm going with Gil to the city today."

" I thought you went with him yesterday." She said, sounding a little turned off by the idea.

"...Well...we did, but… we forgot some stuff. So ah…What's for breakfast?" Oz said quickly, flashing a big smile at her.

**OOO**

Alice woke up to the clanking sound of a tray being placed down on the night table beside her. When she opened her eyes she was shocked to see actual food. She really did believe Break would do something stupid and give her vegetables or something; but there it was, a plate containing a helping of eggs, toast with jam, and what looked like a meat that Oz once told her was called ham.

Alice looked up at the man who was in the middle of turning to leave, but she reached out and grabbed his sleeve, making him turn his head.

" Can I help you?" He said with an amused look on his face.

" ..ah..Thanks…" Alice said with a whispery pout, never once looking the man in the eyes when she forced out the words.

" It looks like you're already learning manners…very good."

"What's that supposed to mean! Of course I have manners. Wait, get back here, I'm talking to you!"

Break left the room laughing; letting Alice eat and think alone.

**-:::::::-**

After she was done eating, Break brought her out to the balcony to have tea, telling her that Sharon was finally up and dressed.

For fifteen minutes she had to listen to Sharon go on and on about how happy she was that Alice was deciding to recognize her status as a "woman". She also tried to assure Alice that her "plan" to become a ladylike would surly capture Oz's attention… if nothing else.

" We'll first start with dinning etiquette. How much do you know about silverware, Alice?"

" _Not much since wild animals only eat with their hands, ha-ha- ha." _Emily laughed as Break tried to quiet her through his own snickers.

" Break, please try and be more supportive."

Even though Sharon attempted to defuse the situation before it got out of hand, it didn't stop Alice from letting out a large growl and leaping from her sat to strangle the man. Instead of griping his neck, she smirked and ripped Emily off of his shoulder, clasping the doll tightly in her fist; and if Emily was real her spine would have snapped from the force of her hold.

"Now, now, Alice…let's not do anything we'll regret later…" Break said nervously, bringing his sleeve hidden hands to his mouth in attempts to look innocent and rational.

" Believe me…I won't regret this." With that, Alice threw her arm back and hurled Emily right over the edge of the balcony.

" Oh my…" Sharon said hearing the sound of the doll hitting the ground below.

Alice laughed hysterically, before she heard Break's response.

" What a terrible thing to do Alice….you wouldn't have liked it if I threw Oz off the balcony…would you? " Before she could retort, Break excused himself to go rescue his fallen companion.

After hearing Alice yelling after the man, Sharon cleared her throat to speak.

" Let's begin Alice." Sharon smiled, and began pointing to the items on the table.

"Typically a table place is set with three forks on the left side, two spoons on the right, three goblets, two knives, and three plates. Oh, and the napkin of course."

" That unnecessary. People should just dig in and eat...that's what I do."

" Yes but, the proper way to eat a meal involves the use of utensil. And each item serves a different purpose. For example, this small fork is for salad, and this one's for dessert." Sharon said, as she held up different size forks. "Can you guess what this ones for?"

" Meat?"

" Exactly, but more precisely, it's for the main course."

" And what about the glasses?" Alice asked, placing her elbow on the table and her face in her palm.

" They're for different drinks. One is for water, and the others are for red and white wine."

" Hum… I think we should go over the napkin before we practice the how to hold utensils properly." Sharon took the napkin off the table before speaking.

"When one begins a meal it's customary to place the napkin in your lap like this." Sharon gracefully put the napkin in her lap, and smoothed in out.

"When the meals complete, lightly dab the sides of your mouth with the napkin and fold it neatly on the plate." As she spoke, Sharon demonstrated the task, dabbing her mouth and folding the napkin onto the plate with her delicate hands.

" That's dumb. The plate is already a mess, why should you have to make the napkin look pretty." Alice said with irritation.

"Like I said before, its proper manners. Now you try."

Alice rolled her eyes and took the napkin from Sharon, repeating Sharon's movements but without the grace motion. Sharon proceeded to correct her, and all the while Alice could tell the day was going to be long and drawn out. She just hoped that she wasn't wasting her time.

**XXX**

When Oz and Gilbert reached the city, they walked through the town casually. Oz actually couldn't remember the last time he was in Leverru with Gilbert by himself.

It was fun.

Gilbert bought him the sweet dessert of shaved ice, with lemon flavoring, and Oz shared it with him; he would pause every few steps so he could scoop some onto the small wooden spoon and feed it to the man.

They talked about everything they saw. Like how overbearing some of the vendors were, pressuring people to buy their useless junk. And to how odd some of the couples looked together, some old men with beautiful woman, and some big woman with scrawny men.

When it was lunchtime, they sat in a small restaurant and ate sandwiches, looking out the window and people watching; occasionally talking about old times and laughing about past memories.

It must have been about three o'clock when Gilbert finally picked up his uncle's supplies. And before they left they went to the gun shop so Gilbert could get more bullets, and then to the tobacco shop to buy cigarettes.

On their way to the carriage, they stopped to look at a crowed that had gathered around what looked like a magic show. There was a juggler actually juggling empty jugs, and a magician doing card tricks, but what caught Oz's eye was a small black booth that had a man standing next to it.

The man was wearing a long black cloak with the hood on, making it hard for Oz to see his face. When the crowd cleared, Gilbert and Oz started walking away, but the mysterious man in the cloak called out to them.

" Hey, you there!"

" Me?" Oz said pointing at himself.

"Yes you. Would you like to get your fortune read?" The man asked as he walked closer to them.

" We're actually in a hurry" Gilbert said, not liking the looks of the man or his ominous black booth. Who knew what crazy stuff happened behind that curtain…he didn't want Oz to have any part in it.

"It won't take long…and it's free." The man said kindly.

Oz hummed in thought before shrugging his shoulders.

" Why not...it's sounds interesting."

" Oz?" Gilbert looked down at the teen and gave him a look that clearly said _you're not serious…are you?_

" Come on Gil. Don't you wanna know who I'll end up marrying?" Oz teased the man, causing Gilbert said to releases a disgusted "No" under his breath before turning away with an irritated blush.

" …Actually, it would be best if your friend waits out here." This caused both of them to look at the man with confusions.

" How come?" Gilbert didn't try to hide the skepticism in his voice.

" It's just to insure privacy and accuracy. I can't tell a fortune clearly if too many energies interfere. You understand, don't you?"

Gilbert looked at him with stern suspicion, but since the man's face was so hard to see, he couldn't tell if the look affected him.

The man pointed to a small bench that was a little ways away from the booth. " You can sit right over there and wait, while we.."

" I'm fine standing here."

The man chuckled a little before turning toward the booth " Have it your way then...are you ready young man?"

Oz nodded, and looked back at Gilbert with a brilliant smile. " Don't leave without me. Ok."

Oz stopped walking when he felt Gilbert grab his arm, when the blond looked back his image of Gilbert was cut off by the rim of Gilbert's black hat being placed on his head.

Oz lifted the hat a little so he could see his servant, smiled at him, and then he adjusted it before walking behind the black curtain.

When Oz entered the booth he wasn't surprised at how dark it was. A single candle was burning on the small circle table that the man sat behind. And there was a crystal ball next to it, and a black table cloth sat underneath it. Once Oz sat down in the wooden chair, the man spoke.

"That man out there...he's very protective of you."

" Ah, yeah…that's just how he is." Oz said, trying to scratch his head but stopped when the hat got in his way.

"Uhm...I see."

The man placed his hands palm up and on either side of the crystal ball.

"Let's get started, would you please place your hands in mine."

Naturally Oz hesitated at the request, but when he looked down at the man's hands…they looked normal enough, but still.

" Don't worry, I don't bite." The man laughed. " It's just so I can get a clear reading of your energy."

Oz nodded and lightly placed his hands on top of the man's.

"Ahhhaaa!!" The man instantly jerked his hands away as if Oz burnt him. He was breathing heavy as he held his palms close to his chest to cradle them.

" Is… something wrong?" Oz said frantically; standing up and leaning over the table to get a better look at the man, while reaching his hands out to try and help him.

" Don't touch me!" The man said the words with a hysterical tone, but it was also like he was pleading. Oz pulled his hands back and took a step away from the table.

"You…pieces of you are, not from this time…or this world."

_I could have told him that…_ Oz thought smartly as he watched the man struggle to get father away from him.

"That power you have, it's…toxic. Nothing good will come of its existence, it must be removed!"

" I think I should go now....Thanks for the fortune…I guess..." Oz said in a nervous laugh trying to make a calm leave.

" Wait, heed my warning. Make the right choice, son. Or the binds of hell will forever hold you…you will lose _everything_."

When Gilbert thought he heard something strange, he walked up to the booth and put his ear close to the curtain. Gilbert had only caught the ending of what the man said, but what he heard caused him to finally pull the curtains back in anger, startling Oz when the boy backed up into him by accident. When Oz turned around, Gilbert pulled the boy into a quick embrace, holding him close and looking dangerously at the man in the chair.

" Let's go, Oz." Gilbert said softly as he escorted the teen out of the booth. Before they could get very far the fortune teller came rushing out, holding onto the side of the booth for support; as if his strength had been stolen from him. When he started talking it caused the pair to look back.

" Follow your heart, son…. because that old soul of yours will only guide you to misery…hell will surly consume you in the end if you don't bre-"

" That's enough!" Gilbert yelled, completely fed up with the negative death talk he was hearing. Gilbert grabbed Oz's hand and began to storm off; tugging the blond's hand a little when he stopped to look back at the false fortune teller.

" Don't let his words get to you. That's probably how he makes his money…by scaring people half to death and-"

" But…Gil, he was right. One day…me and Alice-"

Gilbert abruptly stopped walking and turned to the boy, placing his hands on Oz's shoulders.

" It won't happen! Because...I won't let it. So please, don't talk like that anymore."

" …Gil." Oz said quietly, feeling terrible that his words put his precious servant on the edge like that. Gilbert looked away before he started walking again. It took a minute for Oz to start following him.

After a few minuets, Gilbert spoke.

" What would you like for dinner tonight?" He said quietly.

Oz took note of the change of topic, but instead of bringing up the previous conversation, he complied with Gilbert's silent request to drop the subject and move on to the next one.

**OOO**

It was late evening by the time Alice was finished for the day. She didn't want to admit it, but by the time the day was done, she was exhausted. Sharon had taught her so much about silverware, how to hold it, the proper curtsy, hand gestures, and even verbal manners like "please" "may I" and "thank you".

Some of the stuff Alice was already aware of. However, the challenge was actually doing them in the "right" way. The only thing that interfered with the right way, was what Sharon called her "condescending smile".

For example, Sharon had forced Break into playing as random servant offering Alice a drink, and when she accepted it she supposedly said the words "thank you" to "smart" for Sharon's liking. But even with time, Alice didn't think she could get rid of that part of herself.

" That's all for today, Alice. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

" Yeah yeah, I know…" Alice said with a bored tone.

" I can't wait! Tomorrow will be fun. I'll begin teaching you about the art of dance."

" Dance ?"

" Yes, every young woman should know how to dance. And don't worry, Break will be here to help. He dances quite well."

" A dancing clown, huh? Maybe tomorrow will be fun." Alice slid her eyes over to the man with an evil smirk on her face, but Break just waved at her and scooped more cake into his mouth.

" Umm...Sharon, how long do you think this will take."

" Hum…You're a fast learner, Alice. You should be ready before the Ball. But, remembered to practice even when you're not here."

Alice gave a reluctant nod before she sighed and began heading to the door.

" Wait, I've prepared a carriage for you, and Break volunteered to escort you home."

" I'm not helpless. I am B-Rabbit, after all." The girl gloated as she crossed her arms and raised her chin high.

" This is true...but without Oz here to release your power-" Break started.

" Shut-up, I get it." Alice grunted, turning and heading out the door.

" Bye Alice." Sharon called.

**-:::::::-**

Break waited for Alice to get into the carriage before he followed her in. With in seconds the carriage was moving, and Break settled himself across from the girl; unconsciously smirking at how hard she was trying to ignore him.

" You did well today...I'm surprised."

" Yeah well… you shouldn't be."

" I guess not. After all, you do have a strong desire to have Oz...to yourself." The man almost purred the last words.

" Come to think of it...there could be an even easier way to get him?" Break mused.

" What is it?" Alice said eagerly.

" You could always use Gilbert's gun to-"

" I'm not killing anybody, Clown. Unless you wanna die?"

" No No, I was only kidding." Break said lightly, closing his eyes and waving his hands frantically to ward off the threat. "_I thought rabbits had a sense of humor." _Emily whispered_._ "Not this one." Break whispered back.

**-:::::::-**

When they reached the Vessalius mansion, Alice was ready to hop out of the carriage without so much as a good bye or a thank you. But Break's voice stopped her.

" Alice, before you go...I have one last tip for you."

" What?" She asked sharply, plopping back in her seat and crossing her arms.

Break move to sit next the girl.

" You should try not paying any attention to him, and see what happens then." Break suggested, watching his own two fingers walk like legs across the seat cushion.

" What's that going to solve!?...That's just going to-ahh" Alice gasped when she felt his fingers "walk" right onto her thigh.

" For some strange reason, humans sometimes can't see what's right in front of them. And only when it's out of reach… do they start wanting it." Break said, fingers beginning to play with the hem of the girls black skirt.

" But, why? That sounds so stupid." Alice said…finally getting back enough sense to grab Break's hand and squeeze it mercilessly; just before his finger were probably going to dip under the skirt hem.

Break chuckled lightly and ripped his hand out of Alice's, then moved to sit in his previous seat.

But he still leaned forward so he was close to her face.

" It _is_ stupid. But that's how the game works, Alice. The question is...are you going to play it to get what you want?"

Alice only took one moment to process his words before she gave a sinister smile and pushed the man backwards, pinning him to the seat.

" I wonder how many times _you_ played this...game." She said sassily before turning to leave.

When she opened the door and stepped out, Break grabbed her wrist and flipped her hand over so her palm was showing. Then he leaned down and planted a small kiss on the small space were the girls palm met her wrist.

" Unfortunately...That's for me to know." Break said with a smile. Alice was about to wipe off the kiss, by using his shirt as a cloth, but he had already shut the door to the carriage…and it took of into the night.

**XXX**

When Alice got into the dinning room Oz was sitting at the table reading, and Gilbert was smoking a cigarette in the corner of the room. The boy instantly perked up when he saw her.

" Alice, where'd you go today?...we were worried about you." Oz said, trying not to sound completely down and out about it.

" Who's we?" Gilbert said loud enough to get a silent death stare sent in his direction.

" I went to visit a friend." Alice said nonchalantly as if it was an everyday occurrence.

" Oh...who was it?"

"…Whoever it was, I hope you didn't give them rabies." Gilbert said lazily. He already had his gun ready, because even though his head was slightly tossed back from exhaling smoke he could see Alice reaching for the glass cup on the table. As soon as the object came whirling toward him, it shattered mid way in the air. A dead shot.

" Gil! That's dangerous." Oz yelled to the man.

"...It was a blank." Gilbert said the words with no remorse.

" You need to learn how to keep quiet...sea puke." Alice growled.

" As soon as you stop foaming at the mouth..."

" That's it! We'll settle this right now!" She barked, trying to head over to where the man was. But Oz stopped her by jumping in her path.

" Hold on Alice, Gilbert's just…having a bad day." Oz lied. In fact the day they shared was quite exciting.

" Then tell him to hold his tongue before for I-"

" Before you what?" This made Gilbert stand up fully, ready for whatever threat the rabbit was going to throw at him.

" OK, OK both of you...calm down." Oz sighed and gathered himself before trying to change the subject. " So Alice, do you want to come with us tomorrow, we're going-"

" I have plans tomorrow. But I know it's my duty as a master to spend some time with my servant...so, I'll let you know when I'm available." Alice said the statement with superiority before faking a yawn "Good night, Oz."

Before Alice walked away she glimpses over toward Gilbert, and watched anxiety swim deep in his eyes. She loved it. She loved it even more when Oz didn't give up on extending his other invitations.

" Wait! What about dinner?"

" I already ate..." She called back.

" Oh...good night then."

Oz stood there dumbfounded as he watched Alice walk away. What on earth was going on? First Alice is seen with Break more than usual, and now she...didn't even want to spend time with Oz. Not to mention how heated his friend's fights were getting. Oz didn't know how bad it would have turned out if he wasn't there.

He knew Gilbert wouldn't really hurt her…but that didn't mean Alice wouldn't hurt _him. _Or that the mansion would get burnt down in the process.

**-::::::-**

Gilbert felt his heart twist up at the sound of disappointment in Oz's voice. OK, that was a half lie. He wasn't upset because Oz was feeling hurt; he was upset that Oz seemed hurt in the first place. Why was the blond so desperate to spend time with the loud girl? And...wasn't it Oz who said he liked to be with Gilbert...alone.

Gilbert felt stupid just sitting there looking at Oz scratching his head in confusion, so he got up and began walking away.

" Gil..."

Gilbert reluctantly turned and met the boy's curious green gaze.

" Do you need anything before I go to bed ?" The raven asked.

" ...ah..no. I'm alright. I'll see you in the morning."

Gilbert nodded and left the room, feeling his blood burn from a mixture of lethal feelings; all of which stemmed from his raging jealousy, and rigid fear of losing the boys affection…to a chain.

**OOO**

When Alice went into her room, she couldn't stop the mischievous smirk from forming on her lips. She couldn't believe it worked, it actually worked.

_Maybe that clown's advice isn't complete garbage after all._

Alice walked up to her window and gazed out into the night. She had to admit it, it was hard to turn Oz down; in fact, it was harder than she thought. But it still got the job done.

Oh, and the look on the seaweed man's face, Ha! It was priceless. She could see straight through his hard gaze. Gilbert was scared; he was scared that Alice was making progress. And soon she could move in and steal Oz back before the kelp head knew what hit um'.

Alice unconsciously stroked the wrist that Break had planted his lips on. He was such a bastard, always doing unnecessary things to her. What Alice found most odd, was that he was able to pull it off without even looking as though he was doing something out of the ordinary. He always had such a lazy look on his face, almost as though he wasn't paying attention to his roaming hands...or maybe he just didn't care.

Her last thought was...what of she didn't stop his hands? Where would they have ended up then?

* * *

Thanks for reading.

Review !! It will make me happy :D

-Rage


	3. Tepid

Hi There :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or it characters.

* * *

**XXX Tepid XXX**

The next morning Oz found himself lying next to a panicked and very confused Gilbert. The blacked haired man had eyes so wide that you'd swear someone had a gun pointed directly at his forehead. Clearly, he didn't remember what happened that previous night.

" O-Oz...how?...When?"

" You don't remember, Gil?" Oz said with an innocence laugh, snuggling into the blankets even more as though it was his bed.

" Remember what?" Gilbert was already backing up cautiously, not ready to hear that he did anything he would regret knowing about.

" You had a bad dream about giant cats and came running into my room crying. So I came in here and laid with you so you wouldn't be scared."

"...I did?" The raven said with quiet shame, looking away as he tried to remember doing that.

Oz worked hard to keep his smile from turning into one of amusement, because his little white lie was making him want to laugh.

The truth was, Oz just didn't want to sleep alone, so he crept into Gilbert's room, and climbed in his bed.

What he discovered was quite shocking. A sleepy Gilbert was almost as disoriented as a drunken one. The man actually woke up and mumbled something to Oz about making sure he was warm enough, while lifting the covers up and pulling Oz into his arms.

Oz was so surprised by the man's actions, that for an hour he couldn't stop smiling, and he actually had to force himself to go to sleep so his mind would stop relishing in Gilbert's strong arms and body heat. Oh, and the feeling of the ravens' chin resting on the top of his hair…WOW!

The way they had been in a locked snuggle was surly an accomplishment, and something that Oz had plans to capitalize on. Because if felt that good just to be held like that, then...what if he took it a step further?

That next step was far overdue. They had been creeping around the tempting quicksand long enough...now it was time to jump in it; merging kisses with snuggling...and getting...hummm?

" Waah!...Gil's not happy to see me!" Oz pulled the covers over his head in mock disappointment, throwing a phony temper tantrum by kicking his legs and twisting about. He could feel Gilbert trying to pull the covers off of him, but Oz held onto them.

" I am happy to see you...it's just-"

"It's just what?" He said, surprising Gilbert when he randomly popped out from under the blankets.

" I..." Gilbert stuttered as he tried to find his explanation.

All the while, Oz slowly got on all fours and crawled closer to the man. He stopped right in front of the handsome man before leaning in close to him.

" Yes...?"

Gilbert didn't know why Oz's was doing that to him, giving him that seductive look. If anyone was watching they would have seen the way Oz's green eyes hazed a bit in the early morning sun light, narrowing at the corners in ways that made him look far less innocent than he actually was.

The boys pale peach colored lips had just a ghost of a smile on it....and all of this caused Gilbert to literally stop breathing, hands getting sweaty as he pulled at the bed sheets with shyness. It was about to happen again, they were going to kiss. But for some reason, if felt different than the other times; for one, Gilbert was expecting it.

But...maybe he could still get out of it…before-

No. It was too late. Oz dove into the kiss like a viscous beast pouncing on it's off guard prey. The sad part was, Gilbert was on guard, and yet, it still came as a surprise.

He closed his eyes after Oz's soft lips fully connecting with his own. A burning shiver ran wild through his body, like jagged lightning bolts wrapping around his bones and squeezing them in excitement.

One half of him wanted to break the kiss just to look back at Oz and make sure he really wasn't still dreaming. But, before he could act on his thought, Oz was beginning to deepen the kiss, not only with force, but also with his tongue, tapping at the crease between Gilbert's lips before sliding his damp tongue across it.

It was too much, and Gilbert was going into sensation overload.

"…Oz" Gilbert whispered breathlessly, breaking the kiss and looking back at the boy with eyes that almost pleaded for mercy.

"_..shussh." _That's the only "reply" Oz would feed him, before reconnecting their lips and cupping both hands on the sides of Gilbert's jaw so the man couldn't escape.

To make things all the more heated, Oz mounted him roughly, keeping their lips locked while latching his thighs around Gilbert's waist. Oz's was surprised when Gilbert released a deep grunt at the contact. Though, this also gave Oz the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue into the man's mouth.

He felt Gilbert freeze, when he glided passed his teeth. The tip of his tongue curved every which way; caressing the roof of Gilbert's mouth and then venturing to rub against the sides of his smooth cheeks. He could feel the man shaking slightly as he explored the wet cavern.

The inside of his mouth was warm and inviting, and surprisingly, the taste of tobacco didn't over power the alluring essence of Black Tea that lingered in his mouth. It was heavenly, mesmerizing…. and out right pleasing.

Oz hadn't kissed anyone to that extent before, and he could tell by Gilbert's reaction that he hadn't either. That knowledge made him smile internally that he was the first, and also that Gil was his first as well.

Gilbert's tongue remained immobile for the at least two minutes before he began to participate. The raven would merge his tongue with Oz's ever so lightly, and then retreat a little before testing the waters and doing it again.

Naturally, Oz overpowered him through out the first few minutes, and when Oz noticed that Gilbert's hands were still squeezing the life out of the blankets, he stopped for a moment to take Gilbert's hands and placed them on his hips.

Though, he wasn't expecting the action to encourage the man so greatly.

Oz felt Gilbert tightened his hold around his lower back, warming the area with his fingers before going back into the kiss with a lot more eagerness…and confidence. They were evenly matched and peaking at a heightened rhythm. Neither of their tongues tried to overpower the others. That could have also been because they were both trying to figure out the whole kissing thing anyway.

But, after a few minutes of doing what orally felt right. Gilbert did the unbelievable; he began to dominate the kiss....and Oz let him.

Oz moaned deeply when he felt the man's wide tongue begin to slow down their pace, somehow making it more sensual and controlled. Gil tilled his head and Oz felt him circle the tip of his tongue around his own, while sliding his large hands from his back down the sides of his thighs. Oz caught himself whimpering a little as the hot signs of pure arousal began to wake up his groin.

Oz's body felt like heavy liquid, and his nerves felt like they were being pulled and twisted by an erotic gravity. He needed to be closer to his servant, so he moved forward and sat father up Gilbert's waist…but that's when he felt it. And unmistakable lump poked up from Gilbert's pants and into the inside of Oz's thigh.

The kiss stopped.

Before Oz could look down and stare at their harden laps in amazement, Gilbert flipped their positions. He placed Oz onto his back and let him lay there while he hovered above him. He was panting, eyes hammered shut, and nostrils flaring every few seconds as he tried to calm himself. Unfortunately for Gilbert, Oz had already felt the cause of his change in position, and Oz couldn't help but get more excited by it.

He brought his hand up to Gilbert's cheek and watched the man open his eyes, after a moment Oz's eyes lowered with curiosity and his hand trailed down Gil's neck, then his chest, and made his way down his stomach, quickly approaching his target, until…Gilbert grabbed his hand and gently pinned it to the bed.

Oz gave a small laugh and sat up a little to connect their foreheads, he looked into Gilbert's shaky stare while speaking.

"Are you going to continue kissing me?" he said, smiling slyly, and tangling his fingers in Gilbert's silky tresses.

Even though Gilbert's loins were filled with a yearning pressure, he was still craving Oz's closeness, his warmth…everything. He couldn't say no, and he couldn't stop himself.

Gilbert unconsciously licked his lips and nodded his head against Oz's forehead. Then he closed his eyes, connected their bruised lips, and lied the boy back down.

**XXX**

Mrs. Kate closed Gilbert's bedroom door after she had cracked open only moments before. She placed one hand over her heart and the other over her mouth in shock. She just couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible. Her innocent young master was actually...

No, the whole thing was completely wrong, and as she left the door, she scurried down the hallway to find Oscar. Why? Because someone had to know what she had saw, and put a stop to it. Oz never listened to her, but he _would_ listen to Oscar.

"Oscar Sir!? Oscar?"

"One second, here I come." A jolly voice floated through the cracks in the door before it opened, revealing a blond hair man with a strong build and the distinguished face of a noble, yet, the wide smile on his lips as always made him seem more like a common man than one of noble linage.

"Oscar sir, may I come in? It's very important."

" Of course! How can I help you, Mrs. Kate?"

Mrs. Kate's long white dress swayed swiftly around her legs as she hurried into the room and closed the door. Her movements were so quick it almost appeared like someone had been chasing her.

" Are you alright Mrs. Kate.?"

" I don't know how to tell you this Oscar sir...but...But I just saw Oz-"

" What...smoking? He is old enough you know...probably picked it up from Gilb-?"

"Heavens no...But, it's actually much worst." The woman adjusted her glasses in nervousness, then bowed her head a little as she placed her linen sheets on the arm of the wooden chair, smoothed out her apron and cleared her throat; though, she still didn't get the words out.

" Well then, let's hear it. I'm sure it can't be too bad. You know.....I remember when I was his age, I would always-"

"I caught him kissing Gilbert, on the _lips_!" She said the last words in hissing whisper of urgency, before placing her palm over her mouth and shaking her head in slow dismay.

"...Oh."

"...."

"..."

" Who kissed the other first?" Oscar asked out of plain curiosity.

" It doesn't matter...but I'm sure it was that unruly servant who...what? What's so funny?"

" I'm sorry Mrs. Kate, but you're worrying for no reason. Lots of people his age explore like that, it's only natural." Oscar sat himself in an arm chair and crossed his legs. Then he lit a cigarette.

" _Natural?_ Excuse me Oscar Sir, but there is nothing natural or normal about a young man kissing another...man. It's completely unacceptable, especially for someone of his social standing."

" Let the boy alone..." Oscar chuckled deeply as he blew out smoke. "If he wants to kiss Gilbert then let him kiss Gilbert. At least he's exploring with someone he trust and not some random stranger...I know when I was growing up I certainly-"

" I..I can't believe I'm hearing you say this. The boy kissed his male servant and you're trying to justify his behavior...what if they, what if things get out of control. What are we to do then?" The woman was beginning to pace, as her worrisome thoughts made her unable to stand still.

Oscar sighed and died out his cigarette, " Let me ask you something. If he were caught kissing Alice, would you have responded any differently?"

The woman stopped pacing and turned to him, " Yes, I would hope if he were going to kiss someone it would be a female. And Alice is a kind girl, rude, but nice."

" Ok then..." Oscar stroked his beard a few times as he thought. " If you caught him kissing a maid, or a chauffeur would you have gotten upset?"

" I...What are you suggesting, Oscar?"

" I'm suggesting that Gilbert being male and a servant might have very little to do with it...You're more upset that it's simply _Gilbert_. I don't think you ever took a liking to the boy to begin with. Did you?"

" You have no right making venomous accusations that-"

" Just answer the question."

" I will not!" Mrs. Kate said defiantly, body shaking from the intensity of her words, before practically throwing her weight forward and grabbing the linen off the wooden chair. As she struggled to refold some of it, she forced out her next words with rushed anger "I am not going to stand by and watch that man..." Mrs. Kate looked at Oscar briefly before trying to shuffle hastily to the door "-corrupt poor Oz."

"_You_ will do nothing." Oscar said, his stern voice interfering with the elder servants escape.

" Is that understood, Mrs. Kate?"

"...I..."

" You know I'm not one for threats, but I really wouldn't want to dismiss your services here after so many years of you being with this family."

"..."

"Gilbert's a good guy...even if you don't think so." Oscar got up and moved passed her "And at least it's not Gilbert and Ada…then there'd be some problems _hah hah_...oh, I crack myself up sometimes." The man said as he walked down the hallway whistling a happy tune.

**XXX**

By the time they stopped kissing, they were both out of breath and red in the face. Gilbert looked down at the boy beneath him once more, eyes absorbing the image of the heavenly face before taking the initiative to peck his lips and get up. Body already missing the closeness of Oz's body.

" _Wow_…Gil's a good kisser." Oz said as he sat up, stretched his arms, and shook the lust out of his eyes with a smile.

" um…thanks." Gilberts said with a blush that Oz found adorable.

" Wait, Gil, I wanna do one more thing."

Gilbert raised an eye brow when he saw the boy leaned forward and pressed his lips against his neck, kissing the heated flesh softly before nibbling at it with his front teeth. It wasn't the best feeling, and before Gil could get out a protest, Oz was sucking on the spot. Only taking quick breaks to lap his wet tongue over it...Was that supposed to sooth him?

Whatever Oz was trying to do, he seemed determined to get it done. After a few irritating minutes Oz "completed" whatever he was doing.

"There. It's finished." Oz said, as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and sat back.

"What's finished?" Gilbert rubbed the wet spot on his neck, expecting blood or something, but all he got was saliva glazed fingers; not to mention that the spot on his neck felt tender.

Oz looked at the hickey with satisfaction; it was an uneven oval shaped red spot that was getting darker by the minute. The angry and irritated skin messed up the continuity of Gilbert's pale complexion, and was strikingly noticeable; this made Oz give himself a mental pat on the back.

He would have never thought to give the man one until he remembered Ada coming home with the same type of spot on her neck. When he asked her about it, the girl would give a small shriek and blush. Oz remembered that the girl spent the whole weekend trying to hide it from their uncle, using powder and wearing turtle neck sweaters…even though it was summertime.

Luckily, Break had been there to let him know exactly what it was, and how she possibly got it.

" Oz! What did you do to me!?"

Said boy was so caught up in his previous thoughts that he barely realized that Gilbert was looking in the mirror.

" It's a...servant stamp."

" …." Gilbert looked incredulously at the boy. He just wasn't buying it.

"I gave it to you so people know that you're my prized servant." The blond said with a pride and superiority in his voice.

" People already know that." Gilbert said as he looked back in the mirror and further examined the spot.

" Well, now there's more proof. People can say 'Oh, there goes Gilbert, Oz's servant...he even has the stamp'." Oz said the last part in a deep manly voice, mimicking the conversation of common men.

" And if they ask me how I got it?"

" Tell them the truth...that you begged me to give it to you because of how proud you are-"

" I didn't beg you!! And it looks like...like we were…"

Oz crept up behind him and Gilbert caught sight of his sneaky master in the mirror before turning around. Gil took a step back when Oz stood on his tip toes and whisper up to him.

"Like we were kissing?...Weren't we?"

Gilbert swallowed hard and nodded his head quickly, backing up a little more until his back was against the mirror.

Right when Oz placed his hands on the man's chest and it seemed as though they would once again get their tongues tangled in each others mouths, there was a violent knock on the door.

" Master Oz!! Master, it's breakfast time. Are you in there!? Master!!!"

Gilbert and Oz both looked at the door like the woman behind it lost her mind. She sounded frantic and crazed. But Oz still cleared his throat to respond to her.

"...ah, I'll be out there in a minute, Mrs. Kate."

" Please hurry before it gets cold!....Because...Because it's time to eat now, Ok..."

" Alright..."

" You should go before she breaks the door down." Gilbert grabbed Oz's hands and led him to the door.

"Aren't you going to eat too?"

" I'll eat later. I'm going to take a bath first."

" We can take one together if-"

" _Good bye, _Oz." Gilbert said firmly before the boy's lustful words could ignite his blood and boil him from the inside out.

Oz laughed when Gilbert swung the door open and pushed him out, but Oz stopped it from closing with his foot.

" What?" Gilbert was perplexed when the boy was just standing there smiling at him, then he got the hint, and gladly obliged him. The taller man peered down the hall making sure Mrs. Kate was long gone, then leaned down and gave the blond one last kiss.

The kiss reheated the red in both their cheeks and even though Gilbert would have rather pulled the boy back in the room so they could dive back into their newly found pool of intimacy, he pulled away. Then he looked down at the floor nervously before mumbling something and shutting the door.

Once the door was shut, Gilbert let his back fall against it and closed his eyes. His heart was pounding. Even from a distance Oz caused so many feelings in him, feelings that originated in his soul and travel through his body until it attacked his empty heart... and over stuffed it with passion.

And now, things got a little bit more intense. No, a lot more intense. Because all of his night time fantasy's of holding the boy...and kissing him, were becoming real. Materializing in his daily life and becoming more and more progressive as the hours danced by.

It felt good...too good actually, to the point that his lower regions were still swirling uncomfortably; He definitely needed a cold bath.

**XXX**

It was mid day when Oz stepped outside for a breath of fresh air; it was hot air, but still fresh.

He had spent the previous two hours bouncing off the walls with rapture, doing cartwheels down the hall and singing loudly in the tub. Wow, that morning was great, he had no idea kissing Gilbert was going to be that wonderful, or that his body would ache for the man when they were separated. Overall, it was like he found the missing piece to his spirit, and he'd be damned if he was going to let it get away.

But as he stood outside in the hot sun, his mind was swirling with other thoughts. He looked over the area and noted that it was a nice change of scenery; familiar but mysterious all in the same.

The old mansion was technologically the second Vessalius residents. After the first year of being back at home, his uncle helped him go through the paper work of purchasing the historical spot; believing that they could spend the summers there instead of the drab confines of his original mansion.

This brought him to the present moment; because even though it was a change of scenery, the place still held memories and secrets that he had yet to uncover. After all, everything pretty much started there; his coming of age ceremony, seeing Alice's memories, the mysterious grave, and all the unexplored territory that was just waiting to be discovered.

But even with that pleasant thought, Oz's mind still drifted back to something that had been bothering him...where was Alice?

That thought seemed to be coming up more and more recently. The girl was just acting so strange, and something in him felt uneasy. Lately, when he though about it, it felt like the seal on his chest was burning deeper into his skin, and like something in stomach was screaming out to him…but whatever it was saying, he couldn't hear it.

Sometimes he didn't even think that the feelings were his own creation…but that they somehow belong to the past…

He did have a pretty good idea of where the girl was, but he was afraid to take the step and check for himself to affirm his suspicion. Although fear had always been one of the driving forces that stopped him from knowing many things, he knew he had to push past it on his own for once...instead of finding out the hard way.

That's why the blond boy walked into the house and lied to his beloved servant, smiling sweetly at him and telling him he wanted to check up on things at the other mansion and travel alone that day.

"_...Where are you _really _going?"_

Yes, Oz lied; it was easier that way.

" _I already told you." _Oz said lightheartedly; swallowing down the guilt in his throat.

" _Then why don't you have me go instead? I have no problem going to check on things for you."_

He lied to avoid the conflict that would definitely take place if Gilbert came with him… and they found Alice.

"_...There's no reason for you to go...I'll only be a few hours."_

"..."

Something nagged at Oz's heart about what he was doing, subconsciously aware that he was hiding something even from himself….because if he wasn't, there would be no lies, no guilt, and no sneaking around.

And when the older man looked as though he was on the verge of a heart attack, Oz hopped onto the edge of the dinning room table, parted his legs a little and pulled Gilbert by the front of his shirt, straight into a light kiss that had them both trembling.

The ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner and the sound of the chirping Swallows outside mixed with the sound of their feathery licks and love drenched lips. And though it was a shallow kiss, it still left them satisfied and panting quietly.

When Oz pulled away he couldn't tell what he liked more, kissing Gilbert or the unmistakable look of unrestrained love in the man's yellow eyes when they were finished. And he was also sure that his own eyes matched his servant's….because the feelings in his heart did.

He watched the man look around in a blushing panic; paranoid about being watched while caught in a trance, but then he settle in a dazed silence as Oz left the table top and headed for the door.

Oz knew Gilbert was following behind him like a puppy. And when he got outside Gilbert watched him get into the carriage. Though, when Oz's looked back at him, he didn't miss the sad distrusting look that was froze in those sun kissed eyes; While he waved goodbye to the man and set out on his true mission.

**-:::::::-**

Gilbert stood alone in the front of the mansion, watching road dust finally clear out as Oz's carriage disappeared. His throat felt like there was a large rock in it, and he was afraid to swallow down.

The fragrant smell of light pink Peony flowers lingered deep in his nose; since he was very gluttonous in the amount of times he took in breaths of Oz's tranquil scent.

Gilbert could see the servant Martha walking across the lawn ahead of Mrs. Kate. And they both carried a basket full of deed weeds in one hand and hedge cutters in another. Martha quickly trotted up to him and let a warm smile precede her words.

"Good day Gilbert. Did Oz let you have the day off?" Martha said as she wiped one soil covered hands on her white apron.

" Well…he-"

" Every day's a day off for him. It's not like he's ever done _real_ servant work." Mrs. Kate interrupted as she walk by, " Come Martha, we have laundry to tend to."

" …Yes Mrs. Kate. umm…bye Gilbert." She mumbled be for hurrying after the woman; never once looking back at him.

Gilbert rolled his eyes and let out a noise of aggravation. Mrs. Kate rarely ever acknowledged him, no good morning, and no friendly banter about the weather. But that particular day… she was just plain rude. But he decided not to let it get to him, because he had bigger and more painful things that he felt instead. And also something he needed to know.

**OOO**

"You want me to do what!?" Alice practically screamed out the words.

"Dance with Break, it's the only way you'll learn." Sharon said calmly.

"I thought you were just going to show me how...you know, like a demonstration."

" No. I said Break would be here to help, because he's an excellent dancer."

" I refuse to dance with a clown." Alice turned her back to Sharon and crossed her arms.

" What a shame...and you were doing so well, Alice. But if that's how you feel, then I suppose I can excuse myself. " Break said as he headed to the door.

When Alice heard the door open she sighed and turned around, letting her mission override her resistance.

"Fine...I'll dance with you. You just better keep your hands to yourself. Got it?"

" My hands have to be on you in order to teach you properly."

" You know what I meant!"

" This is splendid! I'll leave you two alone so you can start." Sharon squealed happily as she pranced out the door.

" And Alice…You can't come out until you mastered the dance, Bye!"

" What…What do you mean I can't leave!"

After her words hit a closed door, she looked at it hopelessly before turning around to face Break. The mad man just smiled at her, bent down a little, and used his index finger to beckon her; like an adult would do to a child.

Something about the way he did that made her thighs want to quiver, but she still bit the inside of her cheek and walked up to the man anyway; arms crossed and expression guarded.

"Tell me what I have to do." She said impatiently.

Break stayed silent as he took the girl's right hand and intertwined their fingers, using his other hand to lift up Alice's arm and place her hand on his shoulder. She was somewhat expecting all of this, remembering the position that she saw people get in when they danced at the boring parties Oz would drag her to.

Then, he slid his hand onto her upper back. She tried hard to pretend like she didn't care, but she did care. Because the warmth from his hand was spreading down to her lower back and circling around to her stomach, heating her insides just a few degrees above normal temperature.

Was it uncomfortable? Yes…but was it completely unwanted?

"This dance is called the Waltz. We'll always start with our left foot and step straight forward, then step to the side and bring both feet together. Then you'll follow my right foot back, slide it over, and plant both feet together. The whole time we're mirroring each others movements, until we end up back were we started, understand?"

She nodded and looked down at his feet. His white and purple boot took a step back and slid to the side, and her own boot followed, but…she moved both of her feet at the same time, and stepped on his right foot. He tried it again, and the same thing happened. When he stopped moving she looked at him, expecting him to say something smart but he just smirked.

" Maybe this will go a bit smoother if you place your feet on mine."

" You _want_ me to step on your feet?"

" You'll be able to get a better feel for the steps."

" Why do people do this anyway, it's a waste of time?" She said, stalling heavily because she knew stepping on the man's feet meant getting extra close to him.

" Why do you ask so many questions?"

" Because I'm curious."

" No. It's because you're hesitating. I know Miss Sharon explained that most of what she's teaching you is customary."

" So what…"

" So…that means it's the traditional way of doing things."

" I never took you as someone who follows tradition." Alice said smartly.

" Aren't you a good reader of personalities." Break said "…but for your sake, I will follow tradition today."

With that said, Break used the hand on Alice's back to push her closer to him, forcing the girls feet to finally step on his, and her body to press neatly into his own.

" Let's begin." He said, and started the dance.

**XXX**

Oz walked up to the Rainsworth mansion with hidden worry. He didn't know what he would find in the place, or if Alice would even be in there.

_What am I so worried about...this feeling, it's...suffocating._

When he reached the door, he rang the bell and prepared his face to be causal and convincing. A few seconds pass before the door opened. He was expecting it to be Break, but Sharon greeted him instead.

That was a bad sign.

"….Hello Oz."

" Hey Sharon, I just came by to see how everything was going…you know, with Pandora's investigation…"

" Oh…Well, please come in. It's good to see you OZ!"

Oz noticed that the girl was saying his name louder than necessary. It was obvious that she was trying to alert someone of his presents there.

" Let's go onto the balcony for tea, and we can discuss it there."

" Sure. But I need to use the bathroom first."

" Let me show you where it is." Sharon offered.

" Sharon…I know where it is. I did spend a whole summer here before."

" Oh yes, of course, how silly of me."

" I'll be right back." Oz's said, as he gave her a small wave and walked down the hallway.

The boy turned the first corner, looked behind him, and then sprinted down the hall.

_I have to be quick if I'm going to search for her…_

**OOO**

_Forward, slide, feet together...1, 2, 3, step back, slide over, feet together, part, spin, step together 1, 2…_

After 20 minutes, she didn't need to step on his feet anymore; most of all, it didn't even feel as though she were dancing. Her feet were moving on their own, falling in sync with his leading steps. They even added the occasional spin to their dancing.

She was graceful, and careful, but careful without much thought. And her eyes stayed on his. His eye was red, penetrating, and making the walls in the room seem to fall from their positions.

" Am I going too fast?" Break asked kindly.

_Feet ...slide; Red eyes burning._

"...."

" Alice?"

The girl came to an abrupt stop when her name was called clearly.

" Huh?"

" Are you alright? You look…lost…"

"I'm fine, keep going." She said trying to move her feet and encourage the man to start up again.

" Maybe we should rest for a bit." Break said.

"Rest?"

The word sounded foreign. In fact, everything seemed foreign at the time. Even her own voice she couldn't seem to recognize. Was it Break's fault? Or was all her "woman training" going to her head? Whatever it was, she just couldn't seem to come back down to earth. It was like she was dreaming…

When she took a step back, she realized that they danced their way near the window. She nearly stumbled backward but Break caught her, using his hand to support her back. When she was stable, she leaned up against the window.

His hand moved from her back and onto her hip, and his other hand came up to the side of her face, brushing her bangs out of the way as he looked her in the eyes.

"What do you think your doing?" Alice said softly.

" Admiring those diamond shaped pupils of yours…I find them intriguing." He smirked.

" Then be intrigued from a distance, there's no reason your hands have to be on my-"

Alice bit her bottom lip when she felt the man caress her upper thigh with his thumb, running it over her hip bone before moving his hand inside of her red jacket and onto her black skirt.

"You're testing my patience…" She managed to get out in a steady voice.

" If it's bothering you…you can always remove my hand."

Alice swallowed deeply before slowly moving her hand and bringing it down on top of Break's. She wanted to twist his hand off, and teach him a valuable lesson about personal space. But she was also extremely curious to see what he would do if she did nothing, and let him continue.

Before she knew it, a straight line of pleasurable fire ran down the middle of her stomach and began to fill her lower body as the man's hand slipped up her skirt. His hand stopped at the very top of her bear thigh before he started exploring the area leisurely… carefully.

A small sigh was released from her when she felt him venturing toward the inner most parts of her leg, simultaneously beginning to run his fingers through her hair.

She tried to open her mouth and say something, but when she looked into his eyes, he wasn't looking back at her…he was looking down. She noticed something. He didn't look sinister, or like he was just trying to spark a humorous reaction, but for the first time, he actually looked kind of sad…

" Break…"

" I suppose my will power isn't as strong as I thought," The man sighed heavily while his roaming hand began to retreat "I apologize." Break took a step away from the girl and began to turn away until Alice caught his hand.

It was Break's turn to have a racing heart as he looked back at her and raised a brow. But all she did in response was bite her bottom lip harder.

**XXX**

Oz opened all sorts of doors: closets, bathrooms, bedrooms, and day rooms. After he was finished with the first floor he climbed the stairs and entered another hall where he was sure he'd find her, since he heard noises coming from the room at the end far end.

_If she's not in there…I'll have to give up for now…_

When Oz entered the room, he could tell he just stumbled into something he wasn't supposed to see. Break was standing so close to Alice, his hand being held in one of hers, while Alice's other hand was pressed against his chest; neither of her hands looked as though they were trying to place more space between them. And her eyes were looking up at him with a curious but inviting stare. And if their faces were any closer, they most definitely would have been...

The blond didn't care how rude he sounded when he cleared his throat loudly to break up what ever chemistry was brewing. He didn't like it one bit. And it also was more evidence to prove exactly what he was thinking.

"Oz…what a wonderful surprise." The white haired man said, hand slowly being released from Alice's. But he still stayed close to her. His tone was so sarcastic and over the top that it was apparent that he wasn't trying to convince anyone.

"Oz...." Alice said as she blushed deeply and moved away from Break.

As the girl approached him, Oz had to stop himself from breaking eye contact with her, because what he was really interested in was Break's facial expression, even if it changed in the slightest.

"Hey Alice, what are you doing here?"

" Sharon invited me over for breakfast, then I decided to stick around. What about you? I thought you were going somewhere with that sea product..." The girl said.

" Gil had something to take care of today...so I came here to visit."

"…Oh"

It was just plain awkward, the whole thing. The way everyone was standing in silence and still trying to be natural at the same time. Oz didn't really know why…but he felt mad, and he worked hard to hide.

He snuck a look over toward Break, watching him lean a shoulder against the window and fold his arms, peering out into the garden like he could care less about what they were talking about, but Oz knew he did.

He could see the very faint creases of annoyance in his forehead; though the inexperienced eye would have just though it was the man's usual blank face.

Break must have felt Oz's eyes on him, because when he looked at him it was a borderline glare, almost like he was silently accusing Oz of committing a crime.

Oz looked back at him with the same look, but added a slight raise in his brow, as a mute message of, "_You're the guilty party here…not me."_

Sharon's voice came from the doorway. " Oh, you found Alice…"

Oz turned around to see the girl closed her eyes and mashed her hands together in exaggerated excitement.

The blond almost rolled his eyes. Sharon was not helping the whole feeling of "secrecy" by acting so overly pleasant. Frankly, if they all were trying to hide something they could have done a hell of a better job.

"Well, I'll go get a basket ready and you two can go sit in the garden to eat some lunch."

"Aren't you coming too?" Oz asked nicely, trying to join in the "act casual" skit that they were all forced to perform in.

" Not today, I have some reading to catch up on, but…umm…Break, would you help me in the kitchen?" Sharon said, already placing a foot out the door to leave.

"I would love to" Break said, watching the lady of the house take her cue and leave the room.

" It is always fun entertaining _unexpected_ visitors." "_In this case it's a creepy mood killer" _Break chuckled darkly as he moved toward the two "Mind yourself Emily…it's not right to make him feel anymore…out of place then he is."

" Actually, I feel fine." Oz retorted cheerfully just to spite the man "I'm glad I bumped into Alice…now we can spend sometime together, right?" The boy reached his hand out for Alice to take, hoping she wouldn't reject it and make him look foolish in front of Break.

Oz saw his victory when she didn't hesitate to lift her hand, but…her hand stopped right before she touch his, and her body froze up when Break placed his hands on her shoulders and whispered loudly " Remember your posture, Alice."

Oz heard the girl growl lowly at him, saying the words "I know that" somewhere within her animistic noises.

The tall man just gave them both a twisted smirk before dancing out the door.

**-:::::::-**

Break leaned over the balcony and watched the pair eat lunch in the grass. He rolled his eyes when he heard Alice's sweet laughter swirling upwards toward the spot that he stood, she wasn't laughing at him, but she was having a good time with...Oz.

" Break! Come down and eat with us." Oz called, waving his hand up at the man.

" Yeah clown, come have some of these sandwiches, their delicious." The girl said with a full mouth.

Break almost laughed when he noticed that she caught herself being "unladylike" and talking with a full mouth.

" No thank you, I already ate."

"Well...at least come down here and sit with us" Oz offered.

" Maybe later. You two have fun now!"

Break noted that Oz must have gotten back his confidence, since he was being so generous. But what he also noticed was the look on Alice's face. He surly wasn't expecting the girl to piggy back on Oz's invitation, but he was even more surprised when the girl looked disappointed that he declined.

Interesting.

Before Break turned to leave, he caught sight of something in the bushes near the two teens. What was that?...it looked like a…_Gilbert._ Of course, the man was guilty of the same crime; spying, while under the influence of intoxicating Jealousy.

If he looked hard enough, he would swear that he could see clouds of angry smoke coming from the man. Was it steam from his ears? Or was he chain smoking to stop himself from snatching Oz away from the girl.

Whatever it was, Break was slightly envious, because at least Gilbert had a way of transferring some of his aggression. All Break could do was watch.

However, Gilbert could help lift his mood, teasing the man always did the trick.

**-:::::::-**

Gilbert had the urge to gnaw on something, just to stop his teeth from grinding against each other. He barely even noticed splinters of bark sliding underneath his nails, as he clawed at the tree he hid behind.

Right when Oz told him he was leaving that day…he knew he was lying about his destination. That's why he followed him. It made his chest hurt to know that he lied, and most of all...it was confusing.

What did it all mean? Why would Oz sneak off to go see her?

The only thing that made him feel better was that he noticed subtle difference with Oz interaction with Alice.

Oz's eyes would soften kindly, but they lacked the degree of admiration that he noticed when he was looking into Gilbert's eyes. And even though his hand was atop Alice's, it was friendly and innocent, more comforting than in a romantic sense.

But Alice didn't seem to take it that way. He watched how provocative Alice was sitting, one leg stretched out and the other bent up at the knee, revealing her voluptuous thighs, and bring her skirt high past the point of indecency.

Disgusting.

Classless and shameless as usual; actually, she was a little less classless than usual. The rabbit was actually holding her wine glass with elegance, pinky in the air and everything.

_Who taught her that trick..._

The most disturbing part was that her provocative posture didn't slip passed the blond. He looked at her long legs in a trance like state, but....it was kind of an empty stare all in the same. More curious than lustful, and more acknowledging that her legs were there... than affirming that they were enticing.

_**Snap!**_

Gilbert spun around, using one hand to point his gun at the culprit who was trying to sneak up on him.

"Break." The raven whispered his name.

" Hi!"

" _Shush..._" Gilbert stormed toward the man and grabbed his arm, leading him further away from the spot so they wouldn't be discovered.

" Did I interrupt your spying?" Break asked as the man let him go.

" I'm not _spying._ I'm making sure Oz is safe." Gilbert sighed and lit a cigarette, leaning his back against a nearby tree.

"...Safe from what exactly? flirtatious chains? Or jealous servants hiding in the bushes?"

" _Shut-up_, Break."

" Oooh someone's sensitive today..." Break said " _He's always sensitive because he's always depressed ha-ha-ha"_ Emily interjected.

Gilbert ignored them both and turned his eyes back to the bushes. He could still see them, sitting quietly.

"Did Oz do that?"

" Do what?" Gilbert's hand went straight to his neck, covering the so called "servant stamp" with his palm.

" You obviously know what I'm talking about if you're trying to hide it?" "_Looks like the kids a creep and he's naughty ha-ha-ha."_

" Why are you harassing me?" Gilbert said with a twitching brow and clenched fist.

" I just came to say hello. And now I can congratulate you on your progress with him."

" Progress?"

" Yes. I didn't think you had it in you to get that far with him," Break ceased speaking when he caught sight of Alice and Oz beginning to curl up together on the blanket.

"...What?" Gilbert noted the sudden tense expression that invaded Breaks face.

So Gilbert looked back too, and when he saw them, his instincts took over. He launched from the tree with intentions of putting a stop to whatever was going to happen, but...Break grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

" Gilbert...You mustn't interfere with things of that nature...it isn't fair."

" I don't care...Oz is-"

" Yours? Then let him be the one to tell her that. It's the only way everyone would get a genuine understanding, right?"

"..."

When Break let go of him Gilbert took two more steps toward the bushes, hand wanting to reach out to the boy. But then he changed his mind and adjusted his hat. He turned around and began to walk away; his fleeting steps caused his black coat to flare out widely behind him.

Break would have called out to him and said something, like a snide comment or a joke, but two things kept his mouth shut. One, he knew exactly how the man was feeling…even though he would never admit it. And two, the look on Gilbert's face had so much anguish in it, even Break couldn't find it in himself to upset him anymore than that.

_How discouraging…that wasn't fun at all…_

**XXX**

Gilbert sat in the back of the Vessalius mansion and watched the sun go down. A half pack of cigarettes and a bottle of dark red wine lay at his side. His hat shaded his face enough to hide his alcohol redden blush, and a small hiccup escaped from his throat and echoed softly in the garden.

He barely ever drank, especially once he got Oz back from the Abyss. But when Oz was gone for those ten long years, and his "assignments" left him feeling unworthy and tainted, cigarette just seem to come up short for him. Cigarettes only kept his hands busy and his breath steady. But liquor made up for the rest, allowing him to sleep harder and mellow out a bit....not to mention a slight numbing effect that it had on the pain in his heart.

He knew better than to drink heavily in the presents of others, since one to many times he ended up in bar fights, and other compromising situations. But when he was alone, he was safe to mumble incoherently to himself, and fall asleep on the floor, or shed two or three tears without anyone judging him.

He found himself not caring how utterly sloppy he looked at that moment, or how depressed his facial expression might have been. That was until he heard light footsteps inside the house and his name being called by a familiar voice...a beautiful voice.

Oz was home.

He turned his head slightly just to make sure he wasn't hearing things, which was very likely, but he wasn't, and the voice was drawing closer, sounding more desperate. The active part of his mind realized that he really didn't want Oz around him in that state.

So he got up on wobbly legs and braced himself against the railing of the veranda. He slid down the railing and back down to the step he was sitting on. This didn't discourage him, since he wanted to grab his wine and cigarettes anyway. He did, and got back to his feet, stumbling forward with swinging arms and a dizzy head.

He focused his eyes on the patch of trees across the grass, thinking that if he could just make it over there he could hide out until he sobered up a little more. So he took one step forward, then another, until his walking became steady. He was almost there until his foot caught the edge of a cement garden bench, and suddenly he began tumbling until...

_Crash!_

"Owww..." Gilbert's hands were too slow to break his fall, and as a result, his hand landed in the broken glass and wet wine, alcohol stinging his open cuts, and blood dripping and running so fast that he couldn't tell if it was wine or not...but that didn't matter as the alcohol in his body caught up to him enough to make him lay his head down and close his eyes in frustration. His last thought was that he would simply rest there until he could get up and start the small journey again.

**XXX**

Oz sat on the edge of Gilbert's bed and finished cleaning and wrapping the man's hand with the fresh white bandages. He was careful when he removed the glass that was lodged deeply between the thin space of his first two fingers. His servant was still asleep, eyes unmoving under their pale lids, and his chest rose to full expansion every few seconds.

When he found Gilbert it was surly a sight to see. The man was lying in a puddle of bloody wine and glass. Oz panicked and called for Oscar, and his uncle came out and lifted Gilbert, and carried him into his bed room. Oscar assured him that Gilbert was fine, just passed out. And when he asked Mrs. Kate to clean the man up, she declined and said she was busy, telling Martha to do it instead…but Oz wouldn't allow it.

_He_ wanted to do it. And he did. It was his fault after all.

After two hours of waiting, Oz finally saw Gilbert's eyes open. The man squinted and groaned, and his good hand went straight to his forehead to rub away the headache he probably had. When he sat up, he looked surprised to see Oz sitting there.

" Hey... how are you feeling?" Oz asked with a weak smile.

Gilbert looked around before speaking, " Thirsty."

Oz reached over and got the cup of water from the bedside table. From the corner of his eye he could see Gilbert frowning as he examined his newly wrapped hand. He passed the man the cup and heard him mumble a quiet thank you before drinking it down in two large gulps.

" Did you do this?" Gilbert asked as he held his wrapped hand.

" Yeah."

"…Thanks." Gilbert said with embarrassment, knowing the whole household must have known what happened.

" You gave me quite a scare earlier...at first I thought...that you…"

" Sorry."

" It's ok...I'm just glad Gil's alright." Oz let his words smile for him, and then he turned his back and looked at the wall.

" Nothing happened today." Oz said quietly.

"...What do you mean?"

" I mean...between me and Alice, we didn't...do anything."

" You don't owe me an explanation, Oz. You're not obligated to tell me where you went today." Gilbert said as he looked down at the cup in his hand.

" I do owe you an explanation, because I know you were there watching us."

"..." Gilbert looked up with wide eyes, he was caught red handed, and all he could think about was that Break probably told on him.

" I could smell your brand of cigarettes on Break when I went into the house, and I know he doesn't smoke."

" I… didn't mean to disobey you...but-"

" That's not important. I shouldn't have lied to you…..Do you forgive me?"

Oz turned to him but didn't look him in the eyes right away. It took a lot of courage to say all of that, and when he finally did look in Gilbert's eyes, the man looked confused.

" I'm the one that should be asking you that."

Oz shrugged a shoulder and smirked. "I told you it wasn't important…I should of guessed you would follow me anyway. You always do."

Gilbert blushed and looked down but Oz tilted the man's chin up and caressed his cheek.

" I missed Gil today…" Oz said in a whisper.

It seemed like that's all it took before they were once again connecting their lips.

**-:::::::-**

It was like heaven was permitting him to come and visit whenever he wanted. Oz was actually allowing him the privilege of lying there, touching him, exploring his clothed body as though he wasn't merely a servant or a friend...but a lover. The kind you whisper desire wrapped words to in the dark.

So much happened that day, things he wouldn't change for world, and things that he wish never occurred.

But maybe what mattered the most was that it was _he_ who was lying in the bed with Oz, one hand sliding up the boy torso, while his lips concentrated on savoring petal soft skin of Oz's neck. His ears didn't need to strain to hear the deep breaths and low gasp that Oz was releasing. And shivers wouldn't stop crawling up and down his back when he would hear Oz whisper his name.

The way Oz was sailing his hands through Gilbert black hair, made him temporally forget that he was not special, that he was not merely a servant, or one of Pandora's pawns, but maybe he was a little bit more than that.

**OOO**

Alice couldn't stop her mind from racing, as her thoughts kept floating between her day with Break and her hours with Oz…her head hurt, and she couldn't sleep. So she left the comforts of her bed and decided to break her own rules again. She was going to Oz's room.

She walked down the dim hall and opened his door. But he wasn't in bed. Her first thought was that he was in the bathroom, but, then she heard quiet laughter coming from down the hall.

In Gilbert's room.

Alice walked slowly at first, then quickened her pace to lessen the anticipation. She reached the door and put her ear to it. It was silent at first, and occasionally she could hear the rustling sound of bed sheets. But then she heard voices.

"_...You can take it off if you want."_

Alice couldn't stand the fact that she couldn't see, because Oz could be referring to anything, like the pillow case, or the blankets on the bed. And Gilbert's voice left no clues either, the man's tone was so deep that the bass in it overpowered his words. Then she remembered the key hole.

She bent down and looked through it, but it only allowed her to see the end of Gilbert's bed, and a small portion of the floor. But none of that mattered when she heard Oz's next words...

" _Stop being so shy Gil...I told you it's alright..."_

And with that, she could see a white shirt and a hunter green vest being thrown to the floor; tossed there and forgotten, like the following sweet sighs that dissipated in the heavy air.

* * *

:) Questions, Comments, Concerns...let me know :)

Thanks for reading

And I'd also like to give a **Big Thanks** all those who faved, alerted, and reviewed for this story so far! And to the silent readers as well **THANKS!!!**

-Rage


	4. Tipping Tables and Chairs

Hi. I'm back XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Heart or any of it's characters.

**LIME WARNING.**

**

* * *

**

**XXX Tipping Tables and Chairs XXX**

She darted into her room and threw on her clothes so fast, that she almost forgot to grab her white boots. When she did remember her boots, she swiped them off the floor and ran with them in her hands, bear feet hitting the smooth hardwood floor in even steps as she weaved throughout the house and out the side door.

Her thoughts were blank; hands sweating from holding her shoes too tightly. But her body barely realized any of this. She was cold inside, despite the clinging summer air that wrapped around her body in thick layers.

She didn't stop running, knowing there was only one place she could possibly go. And the darkness didn't scare her, or make her second guess leaving at that hour, because it was approaching midnight quickly. Her feet could tolerate the sharp twigs that she stepped on and the pebbles that pricked at the thin skin on her soles.

**-:::::::-**

There were no lights on at the Rainsworth estate, well...no lights that she could see anyway. The curtains seemed to be drawn in every room, and she couldn't hear any movement either. She stood there, put her shoes on finally, and tried to slow down her rapid breathing. Her throat was dry.

She rang the bell.

It seemed like forever before she saw a glowing light approach the door. When it opened, she saw Break standing there with wide eyes and a candelabrum on his head.

" Alice..."

" I need a place to crash tonight." She said quietly.

The man poked his head out the door and looked around before grabbing her arm and pulling her quickly into the house. He shut the door and locked it as though he were trying to keep out the devil.

" You didn't walk here, did you?" He said with his back still turned.

" I'm not like the rest of you lazy people who need a carriage to take you everywhere. I-"

" You're missing the point." He said firmly, turning his stern eyes on her.

Alice was surprised at how serious he was acting; the clown who couldn't seem to get a smile off of his face was actually reprimanding her.

" Then what's your point?"

She heard the man sigh and watched him walk down the hall. He gave a slight motion with his hand for her to follow him. She did.

" Do you know the biggest difference between this world and the Abyss?" He asked as they walked down the dark corridor. " In this world, people don't need to turn into chains in order to have a thirst for blood, nor do they need a contract to unleash cruel things onto others."

" I already know that." Alice said with annoyance.

Break stopped walking and turned to her, the moonlight lit up the wall next to them and cast an eerie glow onto his face. He leaned down when he spoke.

" Then you also know that people here are not limited to just killing...and that they do things that are much.._much_ worst."

"…" Alice said nothing as her eyes widened a little. She knew Break could smell her rising fear as she tried to imagine the types of things that he meant.

" Good. I'm glad we understand each other now." He said with a smirk as he turned away and started walking again.

She waited a few seconds before she followed him. They ascended the stairs and she could tell that he wasn't bringing her to the day room like he did before. This time they ended up in a bigger bedroom that seemed like it hadn't been used for a while.

She stood in the doorway and watched him pull back the covers to the bed, then he walked over to the dresser and took out a long blue nightgown that she assumed belonged to Sharon. When he was done, he lit a candle on the nightstand, fluffed the pillows and headed to the door where she stood.

"Can I get you anything?"

Alice didn't know why she told the man no. She was thirsty, and even though she ate dinner earlier that night, she was hungry again. She regretted declining the offer almost immediately after the man left.

Maybe she didn't want to trouble him anymore than she did, or maybe she honestly didn't think she could stomach anything after the things she witnessed that night.

She looked at the bed and after staring at it for a few minutes, she proceeds to put on the nightgown that was left for her, and then got under the covers.

She lay awake for ten minutes before she heard a knock at the door.

" …Come in."

She sat up in bed and watched Break enter the room with a rolling cart. When he brought it next to the bed, it had a cup of milk that must have had the chill taken off of it, and there was a small plate of chocolate cake.

" I told you I didn't want anything." She said, taking the cake off the cart.

" Really Alice...I know you better than that by now. Besides...it not good to starve yourself when you're feeling down." He said happily.

" Who said I'm down? I feel fine." She lied, using her hands to break of a piece off cake and shove it in her mouth.

" People who feel fine don't leave a comfy bed to go sleep in another." He clapped his hands and spun around to go to the door.

" Oh, and Alice... Will you do me a favor? The next time you decide to leave the Vessalius mansion in the middle of the night...call me first so I can come and get you myself."

At first the man's request left her without words, but she knew he wouldn't leave until she agreed.

" Alright...just hurry up and get out." She said softly, looking away from him when she finally spoke, knowing very well that she had never used a phone, nor did she know the number there, and also that she didn't actually want him to leave so soon.

But she supposed none of that mattered when the mad man finally shut the door and left.

**OOO**

Alice woke up early that morning. She felt sick and her restless sleep caused her back to hurt slightly. She also had a full blown head ache. And even though Break had brought her a lavish breakfast, she could barely even eat it.

When the man had asked her what was wrong, she lied and said she felt fine, but...she knew he could see through her act, in fact, that was something she secretly appreciated about him. And thankfully he brought her some funny smelling tea that he claimed would make her feel better.

It did. Her headache was gone within minutes, but her back was a little tense still. Although she physically felt better her confusion wasn't alleviated, and neither was her broken feelings.

To make things worst, Sharon was currently sitting on the edge of Alice's bed, trying to make her "talk about her feelings."

" Alice, it might not hurt to try and-"

" I have nothing to say."

" Well, maybe you could tell me what made you come here last night."

"..."

" Did something happen with Oz?"

" No."

"...Did you and Gilbert get into a figh-"

" I just don't understand it!" Alice said abruptly, jumping up from her seat and marching to the window "One minute he's all over me, and the next he's running back to that sea creature before I can even blink...How am I supposed to know what he wants if he doesn't even know?"

" Maybe Oz is just...being friendly to Gilbert. You know Gilbert's sensitive. And he's also been alone for a long time just like you have. So Oz might just want to make him feel-"

" That's not it!" Alice was yelling now. "You didn't see the things I have...you weren't there Sharon."

" ...May I ask what you saw?"

"..."

Alice fell silent; the only thing she could tell Sharon she _actually_ saw was a peck on the cheek and clothes falling. To Alice, that was all the evidence in the world. But it might not have been enough to prove her case.

" I just know _OK_...I know that they were..." Alice clenched her fist and turned around, feeling a wave of tears coming; but she suppressed them. Sharon quickly walked up to the girl and tried to rub her back, but Alice moved away.

"Alice..."

" Why don't you believe me?"

" W-What ?"

" Why don't you think Oz would do that?"

"...I just think that with a little more time, Oz will finally recognize what a wonderful girl you are..." Sharon stepped closer to Alice.

" ...Time...?" Alice said emptily.

"And the ball could be the big night for you to show him that you care for him." Sharon made a darning move and reached out for Alice's arm, taking hold of it and walking Alice over to the mirror.

Alice looked at her reflection blankly; she could see Sharon smiling warmly behind her, the girl pushed some of Alice's hair behind her ear.

" We'll make sure your hair's really pretty...and I'll get you a nice big dress that matches your eyes...I'm sure all the girls will simply be jealous of you." Sharon giggled, " And don't think for a second that Break didn't tell me how beautifully you learned to dance that day."

" He said that?" Alice was finally attentive to the girl's words.

" Yes, he did. So, don't give up hope just yet! Ok."

Something about what Sharon said left Alice feeling disconnected, and slightly numb; like one of the paintings on the wall of women sitting down with sad faces. She was supposed to prove that she was there without actually being in the moment. Constantly dolled up, and stiff, but remain silent enough to be accepted, admired, and acknowledged when it was convenient for the onlooker...convenient for Oz.

" Alice, I'm going out to a meeting today, but, Break will be here to get you whatever you need."

Alice nodded. And the bubbly girl beside her took her hands and held them, squeezing them lightly.

" Please try and cheer up Alice, I know things will get better soon." She smiled.

" Yeah..."Alice broke away and went back to the window, she heard Sharon sigh and leave the room.

**-:::::::- **

When Break entered the room, he saw Alice sitting on the bed looking out the window. She looked hopeless and lost, but most of all...she looked lonely.

" Would you like to come with me today?" He asked.

Alice turned to him briefly, and then looked back at the window.

"...Not really." She lied.

" There'll be food there."

" Where are you going?" She used his last comment to finally seize the offer.

" To a fishing village not too far from here. I have a friend that I want to visit."

" Why do you want me to go?"

" I could use the company."

"...Is your friend a clown too?" She smirked.

" That depends. Do all your friends have cotton tails and long ears?"

Alice grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, but she missed when he stepped to the side. The mad man chuckled deeply and left the room in the mist of saying his last words.

"Be downstairs in fifteen minutes if you're coming."

**XXX**

That afternoon, the sky was the palest of blues to the point that it almost appeared white. The sun was still bright and radiant, warming their skin as they walked up the winding path and watched dark green leaves quiver as the mild wind rubbed up against them.

Earlier that morning, Oz woke up refreshed as usual, loving the fact that Gilbert had his arms wrapped around him, but hating that he found Alice's bed empty once again.

It made him feel like all the hard work he put out with her the day before was wasted...just for her to go running off again.

However, Oz was not going to let it get him down, because he had plans for him and Gilbert that day.

Oz was filled with energy, and he cracked jokes as he walked with his companion. The best part was that Gilbert was still under the impression that they were having a quiet picnic together, but that wasn't all that Oz had in store for them.

" Come on Gil! You're walking too slow..."

" You're not the one carrying anything." The taller male said in frustration.

" It's only a basket. Face it...you've turned into an old man." Oz said with fake shame in his voice.

" Yeah? And you're still a brat." Gilbert retorted with a smile, ruffling the boys hair as he caught up to him.

" Hey Gil… Have I ever told you the story about that white house on the hill?" Oz said, pointing to the house in the distance.

" No..." Gilbert looked over at the boy and waited for him to continue.

" The locals think it's haunted."

" Just because your stories scared me when I was fourteen, doesn't mean it still works."

" It's true! They said there was a woman who lived there and she cooked people and feed them to her pets in the basement." Oz said in a vivid tone.

"...And?" Gilbert asked suspiciously.

" I don't know the rest, but it's abandoned now...and I want to check it out."

" No."

" I knew it..." Oz said sadly before stopping to place his hands on the side of his mouth so he could yell" GIL'S AFRIAD OF THE CRAZY GHOST LADY-"

Gilbert used his free hand to wrap around Oz's face and cover his mouth, causing the boy to have muffled laughter as his back fell against Gil's chest.

" I'm not afraid, I just don't think we should go snooping around in there." He said before releasing his captive.

" Is it because your brittle bones can't handle the climb."

" If you call me old _one_ more time..."

Oz silenced him when he jumped on Gilbert's back.

" Pleaseeeee Gil, lets just see what's in there." He whined in his ear.

" What if it's not even abandoned?...homeless people are probably living in there now." Gilbert said, still walking as if the boy wasn't even on his back.

" We'll never know until we go see it."

" No."

Oz sighed, " ...Damn...where's Snowdrop when you need her..." he mumbled.

" _What?_" The raven said threateningly.

Oz chuckled and decided to switch tactics. He jumped down from Gilbert's back, and stood in the man's path, reaching his hands to the side of Gilbert neck affectionately.

Oz smirked, because that move alone was enough to set Gilbert's eyes out of focus.

" Ok, I'll make a deal with you." Oz looked back and pointed at the oak tree down the road. "If you can catch me before I reach that big tree, then we'll go find a boring spot in the grass and eat lunch. But if _I_ win...you have to come in the house with me. Deal?"

Gilbert chuckled quietly as he shook his head and adjusted his hat, "You know...you never changed…always looking for the next thrill. But, I _will _catch you."

" Really?" Oz took a step back.

" Yeah."

" Try me." Oz said as he spun around and began to run.

It took a minute, but Gilbert finally registered the fact that Oz had just cheated.

" Wait! That's not fair!"

Gilbert put the basket down and started running at top speed. Within seconds his long legs were closing the distance between him and Oz, however, the boy was getting closer to the tree. Right before Oz was able to reach out and touch the bark, Gilbert snatched him backward so hard, that they both went tumbling to the ground.

Oz fell on top of the man but was laughing the whole time. He crawled further on top of the out of breath raven.

" Looks like you win, Gil."

" Yes...I did." He said closing his eyes in triumphant exhaustion.

" And just so you know...if I was so old I wouldn't have been able to keep up with you." The man chuckled.

" I know, I was just teasing you...." Oz smiled " But you still have to go back and get the basket."

" Fine, stay right here." Gilbert got up and half walked half jogged back to the basket. When he grabbed it he turned back around and didn't see Oz near the tree.

_Where did he...damn it_…

" I'll see you at the house Gil!" Oz yelled to him, he was way up the hill by that point, quickly approaching the old house.

" Get back here, OZ!"

**OOO**

It was hot that day, and to Alice, it looked like it was going to rain, but deep down she knew it wouldn't. Alice looked out the window in fascination as they passed by large wheat fields that seemed to sway in the opposite direction they were headed.

They passed wet lands that had wild brown horses grazing innocently in the grass; their heavy huffs splashed in the mud when they galloped to find thicker patches to eat from.

She couldn't help but ask Break many questions about some of the things she saw, like why people were leaning over circle stone walls with silver tin buckets and rope, or why some of the woman were knelling in their backyards with straw hats and large baskets.

And he answered all her questions with a light chuckle and clear explanations, telling her that her curiosity was cute and amusing. She didn't mind his comments though, a part of her was just happy to be a way from the usual estates; even if it was just for that day.

And strangely enough, she felt relaxed with him, the tensions in her shoulders was gone, and her back wasn't as tight... she felt like herself.

**XXX**

As Gilbert approached the house, he noticed that it was surrounded by skinny trees that seemed to have died long ago, way before their time. Only old dry leaves covered the ground and scattered themselves along the concrete that lead to the old house. The outside of the house was supposed to be white, but years of weathering left the paint chipping and the dirty paneling sagging from their horizontal spots.

It was a two floor home, thin and tall in structure, and some of the dark windows were half boarded up, and others were cracked and missing...a sure sign of homeless people breaking in.

Gilbert huffed as he walked to the side door that he saw Oz go through. He opened the door and was immediately greeted by heavy dust, and the biggest cobweb he'd ever seen. He stepped inside what was apparently the kitchen, looking around and seeing moldy dishes resting on a single square table top in the middle, and empty bowls on the floor that seemed intentionally placed there.

" Oz, where are you?" Gilbert called in frustration. He caught himself actually saying the boys name in a half whisper, even though no one besides them appeared to be there.

" Oz...this isn't funny."

Gilbert walked through the kitchen and into a hallway instantly meeting a flight of stairs. He sighed and mumbled profanities as he climbed the creaky old steps. Every time his foot moved he was expecting to fall straight through the rotting wood; but luckily it supported his weight.

He reached the top of the steps, seeing a black faded runner rug leading the way to different rooms down the hall. He headed to the first room, and cautiously opened the door.

" Oz?"

Gilbert said the boys name before he even scanned the room completely, but regardless, Oz was still no where in sight.

" Danm...This kid..."

" -What was that you said?"

Gilbert stumbled forward when he felt Oz touch his shoulders, he spun around, breathing heavy and glaring at the brat that he called his master.

And of course, Oz responded to Gilbert's anger with a toothy smile and an innocent laugh. Overall, Oz's response was counterproductive, because Gilbert just couldn't stay mad at him.

" I guess I owe you for cheating, huh?" Oz said, placing his hands behind his head.

" How about we just leave and call it even." Gilbert said as he looked around the old bedroom and put the lunch basket down on the dresser.

" But we just got here."

" So? This place gives me the creeps."

" Humm...what can I do to make this adventure less… unpleasant for Gil?" Oz slowly approached the man

Gilbert knew exactly what was on Oz's mind; his tone revealed everything. But Gilbert still tried not to buy into it.

" Nothing." He said nervously.

" Really? Because I have a game we could play that might make you feel better." Oz causally walked over to the dust cover dresser and opened the crystal candy dish he saw there; it was empty.

" And why should I play another one of your 'games' when you cheated last time."

" Because, this one has an even bigger reward. All you have to do is find me within five minutes." Oz said, as he held up his pocket watch and let it dangle from his fingertips.

Gilbert's eyes followed the swinging gold watch as it swayed back and forth, " What if I refuse?"

" I don't think you will." Oz put the watch back in his pocket and smiled.

Gilbert heard Oz say the words with his " _I don't care what you say you're still going to do what I tell you to"_ tone, and unfortunately...he liked it.

" OK Gil, lets start. Count to ten and I'll hide."

**OOO**

An hour went by before they arrived at the bay side. Alice watched white sea birds fly over head, and wrinkled her nose when the distinct smell of sea animals made her breathing shallow; but she quickly got use to it.

But what was most wonderful was how busy it was, and how many shops there were. There were bait shops and shops that sold things for boats. People even split big fish open in the middle of the sidewalk.

At some point she ran up to a store front and placed her hands to the glass, looking at the jewelry made of seashells and beach rocks.

" I want to go in this one." She said, turning to her companion.

" Then we shall." Break smiled and opened the door, bowing as if Alice was royalty; Alice rolled her eyes at him and walked in. The store owner was a kind old woman with her gray hair pulled back and twisted into a bun, " Welcome...Please feel free to look around." She smiled at Alice and continued cleaning the counter.

Alice left Break near the door and headed straight for the seashell covered picture frames and the porcelain dolls. Break lingered at the front, hands inspecting the different types of stationary. Each bundle of paper was dyed different colors and had visible remains of tree pulp and leaves pressed into them.

" Hey clown...what's this thing?" Alice asked as she motioned for the man to come near her.

He walked to her and looked over her shoulder. " Why don't you open it and find out..."

Alice opened the little brown box. She was pleased to see that there was a tiny figurine of a girl in a white dress and she twirled around while music played, and there was also a small mirror that was at the back of the box. The melody was nothing like the melody of Oz's watch, it was happier, but it still reminded her of it.

"It's...like Oz's watch, just different."

" Do you like it?"

"...It's just a box."

" That's not what I asked."

"...I don't need a box."

" I asked if you like it?"

"No, it's annoying. The music makes my ears hurt." The girl lied and closed the box, then walked away from that section of the store.

Break had to stifle a laugh because he knew she liked the music box. He watched her take quick glances at it, even though she was looking at other things. She also bumped into something else she liked.

" What kind of bead is this?" Alice asked the store owner.

" Oh, that's not a bead, dear. That's a pearl and a rear one too. It's hard to find purple pearls...We usually only find the white ones, like this one right here."

Alice walked over to the counter and looked at the matching sliver backed studded that the lady brought out to show her.

" Where do you find them?"

" Oysters make them sometimes, but you usually have to get really lucky to find a treasure like that."

The word oyster rang a bell; Alice swore she ate something with that name before. But she didn't ask anymore questions, instead she went back over to the purple pearl necklace, and examined it one more time.

The dark glossy pearl was held in a small silver heart shaped caged, that hung from the silver chain; almost like it was being held prisoner just because it was rare. But she still liked it anyway. And in a ridiculous way, she could relate to it.

" Are you ready to leave, Alice?" Break asked near the door.

" Yeah..." Alice took a glance back at the pearl necklace, then at the music box and exited the store with him.

**XXX**

Gilbert only spent three minutes looking for the boy. First he checked all the upstairs rooms and closets. Then he raced down the rickety old stairs and went into the living room. It's was odd that some things in the old house looked less aged than others, like the couches, and some of the tables; almost like it had been used recently.

Gilbert found himself back in the kitchen, thinking that it was foolish for him to even look there, but right there under the table was Oz. Smiling up at him.

" Why do I feel like you didn't really try to hide?" Gilbert asked suspiciously.

" Because I didn't. If I did, you would lose, and then you couldn't get the prize at the end."

" If that's the case, you should of just given it to me." He said leaning against the old counter top and searching for his cigarettes.

Oz laughed, "I wanted to watch you work for it."

" Well…What is it?" Gilbert gave up looking for his cigarettes when he watched the boy come out from the table, and walk up close to him, letting his hands slide down Gilbert's chest.

" It's...whatever you want it to be."

Gilbert blushed lightly. Oz was basically handing himself over and Gilbert wasn't going to let that opportunity slip past him.

He took the boys face into his hands, leaning down and kissed him sweetly, but then he felt Oz break away and when he look at him the boy was backing up...but in a way that meant that he wanted Gilbert to follow after him. When Gilbert walked up to the blond, he looked at the table and quickly pushed all the dishes off of it… and let them crash to the floor.

It excited Oz to see Gilbert so...so eager, so he quickly sat on top of the table and waited for Gilbert to continue.

And he did. The man was so passionate and engrossed when he started kissing Oz's neck and collar. Oz could feel his body arching into the man's dense form. Not to mention the stunning fire that was building in him.

He knew Gilbert was getting less and less shy the more they had encounters like that. And that's just what Oz wanted. The man didn't even hesitate to unbutton Oz's shirt, and slip his hands onto his skin. Gilbert's hands were cold for some reason, but if felt damn good against Oz's hot taunt flesh as Gilbert began to kiss the side of Oz's face and inch his way back to his lips.

Oz invited Gilbert's tongue into his mouth, and twisted his tongue against his servants. He could feel Gilbert leaning him backward a little, and at some point he gasped when he felt Gilbert's hands venture down to his shorts.

His hands rested there, almost as if he wanted to do something more...but he was afraid to ask. Gilbert pulled away from the kiss and looked down at Oz's lap; he could feel that the boy was hard.

Oz looked at him curiously.

" What's wrong?"

" Nothing." The raven said quickly, looking back at Oz.

They stayed silent for a few minutes.

" Do you want me to...Take them off?" Oz asked hesitantly. Obviously he asked the right question because he watched Gilbert blush and nod, almost as if he was relieved that Oz saved him from making the request himself. Oz smirked and got up from the table.

He placed his hands on his belt and began to undo it. Gilbert naturally turned his eyes away to give him privacy, but Oz found that ridiculous if the man was going to see him anyway.

" You can look if you want, I don't mind." The boy assured the man.

He watched Gilbert look back at him, and he purposely waited for the man to do so before he let his plaid shorts fall to the ground, along with his under garments that he stepped out of. But he did leave his boots on.

" What now?" He asked, tying to break Gilbert out of his hypnotism.

The raven swallowed hard and walked up to the boy, he took off his black hat and put it on a chair, then positioned Oz back on the table. But this time he bent Oz's knees up so that his feet were planted there.

The view was marvelous, and Gilbert felt like he was seeing a forbidden sight; one that wasn't meant for his eyes...but he didn't look anyway. He felt his stomach tighten in pleasure, then twist with ecstasy when he watched Oz's milky thighs fall open and expose his erection that was perfectly proportionate to the boy's body size and shape; not to mention his rounded sac that rested neatly below it. Gilbert let his hands caress the blond's stomach, and brush against the soft pubic hair that was much darker than the blond hair on his head.

And then, Gilbert gently took hold of Oz's manhood and stroked it, hearing Oz suck in air between his teeth and throw his head back in pleasure.

And that's all the encouragement Gilbert needed to start the action that he wanted to perform on his master.

The man slid his hand up and down Oz's shaft a few times before he kissed his way down the blonds thigh and stuck out his wide tongue so it lapped at the very tip of Oz's member.

Oz jerked forward, "ngh! Gil!" Oz practically screamed out in rapture when he felt what the man was starting to do. He wasn't expecting that, he thought Gilbert was just going to use his hand or something but...not that, not something that _incredible_. But his loud outburst startled Gilbert enough to make him stop.

" Does it...did I hurt you?" Gilbert asked anxiously, looking up with wide confused eyes.

Oz answered his question by closing his eyes and quickly shaking his head "no" then placing his hand in Gilbert's hair and gently pushing the man's head back down.

Gilbert continued obediently, and connected his lips back to the top of the boy's member, lightly sucking it and dipping his tongue into the small hole. The way Oz was grasping and pulling at his hair let him know that he was enjoying every bit of it...but most of all that he knew Oz wanted him to do more, which Gilbert was planning on doing anyway.

Gilbert had accidentally caught a glimpse of a similar action when he was nineteen. He had been ordered to dispose of an illegal contractor, but when he found him, he had a woman with him, who was in the mist of...pleasuring him with her mouth. It was a very quick glimpse, since he ended up shooting the man before he even realized Gilbert was there...and the woman just ran off after.

But at that moment he knew he could replicate the act, and just do what he thought would feel good to Oz. And actually, it was to his complete pleasure as well, since his pants got instantly tight when they started.

The man lean down further and took more of the blond's length into his mouth, closing his mouth around it and feeling Oz move his hips forward to get deeper into Gilbert's wet cavern. Gilbert let him, and gratefully adjusted to Oz getting closer and closer to the back of his throat.

Gilbert made sure he had a firm hold on the base of Oz's shaft before he started to quicken his pace; bobbing his head up and down and listening to Oz make all kinds of sweet noises. It made him hungry for more of the boy, feeling Oz switch the hand in his hair and help guide Gilbert's head throughout the action.

At some point, Oz was squirming so much that the table was beginning to lean forward. When Gilbert felt the table tipping over he abruptly stopped to catch it and steadied Oz backward so that his weight would balance out the table again.

Oz wasn't going to let him stop for too long, pressing on the mans chest, then pushing down his shoulders to make sure he knelt back down and continued pleasuring him.

All of Oz's verbal and non verbal commands were continuously stimulating Gilbert's body. His heart was racking hard against his rib cage, and his pulse must have been so strong that it seemed to make the whole house quake from the sheer force of it. The moans Oz made caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up, and tasting the pre liquids of Oz's arousal was making Gilbert's manhood ache painfully.

" Gil...Faster!"

Oz's whole body was shaking, and Gilbert loved it. He would stop sometimes to catch his breath, and kiss Oz's length before continuing at the fastest speed he could manage. There would be times that Oz's length would slip out of his mouth with a 'POP' sound when it escaped from his lips. This caused pre-cum to dab onto the boy's thighs and wet them. But Gilbert would quickly make up for it by lapping up the fallen liquid greedily, drooling a little as he made slurping sounds and sucked the inside of his legs; then went back to tending to his mastered throbbing length.

And Gilbert could tell that Oz was close to his climax; he could also tell that Oz had _no _intention to warn him about that either.

Something about that was strangely arousing and it made Gilbert feel like he was going to get thrown over the edge too, because Oz apparently had every intention on finishing in his mouth. Gilbert was going to let him do that regardless, he wanted to taste his master…every drop of him.

However, Oz was ensuring that that did happen by trying to sit up and use both of his hands to grip Gil's hair so the man couldn't move away.

" ..Gil!"

" Hum?" The man responded with a labored noise, never once stopping his quick movements. What he didn't know was that the vibration from his voice was going to set off his master.

" Never…never mind..." The boys green eyes rolled back and he released a wild moan already cumming in the man's mouth and griping Gilbert's hair roughly as he did so. Gilbert felt privileged to receive the fluid. So he let him ride out his orgasm, tasting Oz's hot seed as it filled his mouth. He swallowed it down with ease. When it appeared that there was nothing left for him to drink he gently removed Oz from his mouth and watched the boy's erection start to soften in satisfaction.

Gilbert moved to sit in a nearby chair, his wrapped hand was clawing at his own leg because he was trying to suppress his own desires that were still high and electrifying his body. He watched Oz try to gather himself, breathing deeply and looking lustfully at Gilbert and finally got off the table to slowly dressed himself.

Gilbert needed sometime to recover. He didn't think doing something like that was going to be so pleasurable for him...but, it was more because he did it to _Oz_...and that's what made it such a turn on. And it was such a privilege to be able to do that to his master...

His hands were shaking and he thought his fingers were going to bleed from digging into his knee. And Oz...just had to make things worst.

Coming over to him and sitting hard in his lap, then kissing Gilbert neck and whispering thankful words to him...telling him what he did was _so amazing_ and that he _loved it_. And then he felt Oz try to unbuckle his black pants, and give him open mouth kisses at the same time.

" Oz!" he said grabbing the boys hand to stop him.

" What? I want to try it too."

" I don't want you too..."Gilbert said without stammering on his words.

" Stop being modest...Let me just-"

" Wait..I don't.._ahh_."

Oz smacked Gilbert's hand away and quickly undid his belt, dipping his hand into the man underwear and retrieving the thick length of flesh he was looking for. And it was thick. Oz's eyes widen when he finally saw the length of it. It was long. And Gilbert was also very hard, to the point that it looked painful.

Oz felt Gilbert go ridged when he pumped his length and kissed him a few times, but then the man forced Oz off of his lap and stood up, causing the chair to fall over in the process.

Oz didn't let Gilbert's actions derail him. So he walked back over and took the man's length again, kissing down the man's chest, and telling him to relax, but Gilbert was insistence on arguing.

" Oz…Can you please just stop for now."

" Why?"

" Because I..."

Gilbert snatched Oz's hand away when he felt himself already climaxing...cum was beginning to spill onto the floor in a small white pool.

Gilbert didn't think he ever blushed that red in his life. He was so embarrassed that all he could do was stand there.

"Wow Gil…I barely touched you." Oz said bewilderment, looking down at the mess at his feet.

" It's because...You…I'm just…I couldn't help it-" Gilbert struggled to explain himself. How could he tell Oz that just receiving a kiss from him was enough to set him off like that? Or that years of pent up sexual desire that he had for the boy just came spilling out at the first moment of intimate contact.

" It's fine, it's fine" Oz said softly, understanding that Gilbert was embarrassed. He stepped over the small puddle so he could comfort his servant, " Just try to hold out a little longer next time. Ok?" Oz stood on his tip toes and kissed the man. Then watch Gilbert nodded and start to fix his pants, and proceed to grab his hat and put it back on his head.

All of a sudden they heard a woman's voice outside, and someone coming up the path leading to the kitchen door.

"Come on Henry...stop chasing those poor birds. We need to get in the house and cook these before they spoil.

Gilbert and Oz looked at each other and spoke at the same time.

"Run!"

**OOO**

Alice and Break continued to walk the busy streets until Break lead her to a side street with tiny houses. None of the houses had any paint, though they were still cute in their dark wood exterior. They walked up to one of the houses and the door was already open, but Break still knocked on it anyway.

" Hello?" He said in a bright voice.

" Break? Is that you?"

" It is."

Alice saw a man walk toward the door, he had a heavy black mustache and a round face, but he looked young and lively.

" I've been waiting for you for hours. Come in, come in." He said waving them into the house. When they did, Alice could see that they really took care of their home. It was full of fluffy furniture that was warm and inviting, and there were plenty of colorful blankets thrown over chairs making the place look cozy.

" Oh, and who's this beautiful lady?"

" This is Alice, an acquaintance of mine."

" It's nice to meet you Alice." The man said with a wide smile that could put Oscar's to shame.

" Yeah, same here...ummm..."

" Eithen, my names Eithen Cassini. Looks like Break's forgotten how to introduce people properly."

" No, I'm just aware that you like to hear yourself talk." Break said smartly.

The two men began a small side argument until Alice spoke up.

" …Do you have anything to eat?"

" Ha Ha Ha !I like your style Alice...straight to the point." The man said slapping his leg for emphasis.

" I never thought I'd meet another young woman who spoke so bluntly." A woman appeared from the kitchen, her hair was long and black and she had very soft features. "What's your name?" She asked Alice, in a pleasant voice.

" Alice."

" Well Alice, if you want to eat lunch here you have to work for it." The woman said with amusement.

" Work…What kind of work?"

" Can you fish?"

Alice looked at Break for some type of help as to what the woman was talking about. But all he did was smile at her and stay silent.

" Oh...then it looks like we have some thing to show you."

" Whatever. It can't be too difficult. I accept your challenge…umm..."

" Oh I'm sorry,My names Rita." She smiled. "Ok Alice I'll go get my stuff and we can all head down there together, Alright."

Alice nodded, and watched the woman walk off into the house. Then she tuned into Break and Eithen's conversation about how things have been and old times.

**-::::::::-**

They all began walking down the house steps that would lead to the sidewalk. They decided to walk to the dock since it was close by. When they reached the street corner Alice was alarmed when she saw that Break was heading in the other direction.

" Wait...I thought you were coming."

" I'll be along shortly, I have a few things to pick up while I'm here."

" Then let me come with you." Her voice came out more desperate than she wanted it to.

" Come on Alice! You won't catch any fish standing there." Rita called from further down the street.

" She'll be right with you, Rita." Break said, as if Alice wasn't in the middle of resisting.

" I didn't ask you to answer for me." Alice growled.

" But their waiting for you..."

Alice looked back at Rita and Eithen, then unintentionally stepped closer to Break.

Break let his lips turn into a genuine smile, seeing the girl look so torn about the whole thing, and then he bent down so he was at her eye level.

" I'm so flattered that you don't want to be separated...Maybe I should write this moment down in my notes to Pandora."

" What!" She took a step back.

" What should the title be?" He mused. "Maybe 'chains being emotional attached to someone _other_ than their contractor...hum?"

" It's not like that ! I just don't like the thought of being pushed off to strangers."

Break took his doll off his shoulder and dangled it before her, " Then take Emily, for comfort. Just don't drown her."

" I'm not a kid! I don't need dolls to make me feel better" She snatched the doll out of his hand, "Especially not this trashy thing."

" Be careful what you say to her, she sensitive." He started walking away.

" Hey...Get back here!"

She watched the man walk off and turn a corner, her instincts said "follow him" but she knew Rita and Eithen were waiting. And it would be...what's the word? Yes, "rude" to ditch them. So she turned around, feeling a bit chilly and unsure, placing Emily in her jacket pocket, and went to follow them....only looking back twice.

**XXX**

Oz and Gilbert raced up the stairs and ducked down behind the banister. They both watched the kitchen door closely and when it opened there was a middle aged woman with skimpy brown hair and raggedy clothes holding what looked like two dead raccoons by there tails. Within seconds an old skinny gray dog came to stand beside her. It was kind of odd that the woman was healthy plump compared to her pet.

" What happened to my kitchen!" She yelled, causing Oz to jump a little at her booming voice.

" Damn it... _Who's in here_...?" Her voice was threateningly low, as she looked around the dirty room.

They watched her throw the rodents down on the table and then go into a cabinet and pull out a...hand gun.

" Shit" Gilbert said under his breath. "Let's go." Oz nodded and began to move backward, looking around for the closest door.

Then the ladies voice halted their movements and they looked back into the kitchen.

"Stop it Henry! Don't eat that white stuff? You don't know what it is... Alright fine, but count that as part of your dinner tonight."

As Oz listened to the dog lick the floor he didn't know whether to frown and shake his head in disbelief, or bust out laughing. And when he looked at Gilbert, the man had his head down covering his eyes with his hand in embarrassment. However, the awkward moment was short lived when the lady started leaving the kitchen; causing them to go into the first door that saw and shut it quietly; Gilbert locked it.

They heard the woman's footsteps walking around down stairs then suddenly they heard gunshots on the first floor.

" Come on out! I know your still here!" Her angry voice said from downstairs.

Gilbert pulled out his gun and aimed it at the door...there was nothing else they could do if she came up the stair and found them.

" No Gil...you can't shoot a random woman?"

" I'm not going to let her kill us first?"

" We just need to get out of here." Oz said looking around; Gilbert looked around too and walked over to the window. He was happy that it opened with ease and when he looked down; he knew it would be a dangerous jump.

" I'm going to jump." He said trying to position himself on the window ledge.

" No, you'll break your leg if you fall wrong." Oz said, putting his hands on the man's shoulders to stop him.

" I don't think we have a choice." Gilbert whispered.

There were scratches at the door, Oz looked back and knew the dog found them before the woman did.

To make matters worst the dumb thing started barking.

" I'm going...after I land, jump out and I'll catch you."

" But.." Oz looked back when he heard the woman coming up the stairs "Alright...be careful." He whispered.

Gilbert wasted no time. He positioned his body and braced his leg muscles. Then he jumped. He dropped through the air for a few seconds before surprisingly landing with bent knees, stumbling backward a little only after his feet were planted.

Gilbert turned his eyes up to the window, and he could swear that he heard the lady beating the door down.

" Oz ! Jump!" He yelled.

Oz looked down at him, then back at the bedroom door that was getting destroyed; he took a deep breath and swung his legs out the window, sitting on the ledge.

He was nervous...but he knew Gilbert would catch him.

" Ready?" He asked the man.

" Yes."

It seemed like everything was going in slow motion because when Oz started falling Gilbert could see bullets shattering the glass of the window. His heart dropped, but so did Oz...safely into his waiting arms.

Gilbert held the blond tightly, and quickly moved back to avoid the falling glass. Then he put Oz on his feet and they started running. They only looked back to make sure they were actually getting far from the house, but even then they didn't stop dodging trees and sprinting though the woods.

Finally they had reached a clearing that was near the main road, but they were too out of breath to continue. They both collapses in the grass.

" You Ok?" The raven managed to get out between short breaths.

"Yeah...what about you?"

Gilbert nodded and took out his cigarettes," Just remind me never to listen to you again" he said as he lit one of the white sticks.

" What? Don't blame me. It was supposed to be abandoned." Oz laughed.

" It _is_ your fault, She could of killed us!"

" Yeah but...that's what made it more fun, right ? And at least we left her the lunch, and her dog got to have the snack you left for him" Oz giggled.

"..."

" Why are you looking at me like that."

" Because...I think I'm going to strangle you."

" Oh no! Gil's angry!" Oz took a step back when he watched Gilbert get up, then he started running when the man started approaching him.

**OOO**

When Break returned to the docks he couldn't have asked for a more pleasant greeting; Alice ran up too him holding a line of five silver fish in her hand, and a wide smile swept across her lips as she flaunted her accomplishment.

" I caught some!"

" Bravo Alice!....I was sure you would." Break said with pride.

" Do you see how many there are...they were practically throwing themselves at me."

" It certainly seems that way." He said taking the line of fish from her and examining the amount of them.

He listened to the girl speak so vividly about her first experience fishing and how it surpassed her expectations. And as they walked back to Rita and Eithen's house he couldn't help but feel a little upset that Alice had never fished before, he would have at least thought that within all the time that had gone by that Oz would have taken her to do something that simple. Honestly, he was a little disappointed in the blond.

**-::::::::-**

Alice had to admit...that day was fun and exciting. When they got back to Eithen's house, Rita cleaned the fish and cooked them up in a black skillet. They ate an early dinner. It tasted delicious, and as they ate, they talked about the village and what it was like living there...what they hated and what they loved.

And after they ate, Eithen taught her how to play a card game called Hearts. It was complicated at first since it didn't make sense to her that the object was to avoid the Heart cards, when the game it's self was called that. Even still all four of them spent hours at the kitchen table, playing hand after hand, laughing at Break who occasionally tried to cheat his way to victory. Alice even won a few hands, but not as many as Rita did.

At some point, they ended up outside, eating sweet plums and cold whipped cream, while watching the dark part of the sky back the sun into a corner.

Her and Rita sat and talked for a little while before she got up and searched for Break...he had snuck off somewhere. When she thought she heard his voice in the back of the house, she tip toed to the side off the house just to check if he was there. He was. The mad man was talking to Eithen, but they didn't see nor hear her footsteps. Nor did they notice her eavesdropping.

" ...Has it been bad, the last time we spoke you said the chest pain was getting worst." Eithen said with concern.

" The pain's subsided a little. I have no complaints."

" Break... I hope you guy's figure this out soon.."

" Yes…" Break sighed "But at this point there really isn't anything I can do. If this new lead turns out to be false...I'm not sure I'll be here long enough to find another."

" That's nonsense! You've been saying that for ten years now. HA HA HA."

" Have I? ...But you know nothing last forever Eithen...especially humans."

" Yeah...but I think your luck has been better than most. Besides... I'm excited to see little Xerxes running around one day."

Break laughed, " Please don't get your hopes up about that...Emily's enough to deal with."

" Gosh Break, you say the most outrageous things sometimes. No wonder that girl calls you a clown."

They both chuckled at the statement.

"Speaking of her...don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at her. You'd make a nice pair."

" mmum."

" What do you mean 'mmum'?"

" She simply isn't mine to have."

" She's with someone?"

Break sighed, " Let's put it this way...there's something larger at work than my mortal hands can handle..."

" Meaning?

The white haired man laughed deeply " It's of no importance anyway. Things are how they are. That's all."

" I think you need another drink... you're way too hopeless for me right now."

Alice took a few steps back, and then she shook her head and turned around. She didn't like hearing Break talk about dying like that; it made her wish that she had blocked her ears instead of listening. And all the other things he said, only hinted off to her that she wasn't just dreaming that the man cared for her, but maybe…

**XXX**

Gilbert and Oz had arrived back at the estate and Gilbert made them a hardy dinner, and they ate on the veranda outside. As they were wrapping up, they saw a carriage approaching the gates, and they watched Echo step out and approached them.

" Echo…what are you doing here?" Gilbert asked.

"Echo is relaying a message for Lord Vincent" The girl said in monotone.

" What does he want." Oz asked.

The girl turned her blank eyes on Gilbert, "He's requesting your assistance at the Nightray mansion for three days."

" Why?"

" He's fallen ill and needs someone to look after him."

" Aren't you going to be there?" Gilbert asked anxiously, knowing that he didn't want to leave Oz unattended.

" Echo is responsible for running errands, and the rest of the Brethren are attending assemblies in Isolhoff. Lord Gilbert is the only one left."

"....How sick is he?" Oz asked out of curiosity.

" The doctor said it's an pneumonia...he could die if he's not cared for properly."

Everyone was quite for a few minutes. When Oz looked at Gilbert he could see that the man was struggling with the new development, but for what reason? Was Gilbert worried about his brother's health, or was he worried about leaving Oz alone.

"...I'll only go if you're ok with it." Gilbert finally said to the blond beside him.

Oz hesitated, knowing he truly didn't want Gilbert to leave his side...especially to go to his creepy brother's house, " I don't mind if you go, I'll be alright on my own." he lied.

" Are you sure?" Gilbert asked, hoping his master would change his mind.

" Yup, I'll be fine."

Gilbert let out a deep huff, and sat back on the steps, " Echo...tell him to expect me tomorrow afternoon."

The girl nodded and started walking back to the carriage.

**OOO**

The sun had long been set by the time Alice and Break left the small bay side village. Alice tried hard to keep her eyes open for the hour ride home, but she found herself dozing within the first few minutes. Before she completely fell asleep, she heard Break's voice.

" Would you like to be dropped off at the Vessalius estate?"

" ...no, I don't want to go back there tonight." She said quietly.

Break simply nodded in response, and turned his eyes back out the window; watching the dark rural scenery pass by.

**-::::::-**

When they arrived Break carried the girl into the room and placed her down on the bed. He fixed the covers over her, and began to leave, but her sleepy voice broke through the darkness.

" Break..."

The mad man turned and slowly walked back to the bed.

To Alice, he appeared slightly ominous standing above her like that, so quiet, and eyes so intense that she would swear his stare could slice through her skin. But something about that was appealing, and at that moment, she wanted to dwell in it; maybe allow his gaze to cut her so deep that all her uncertainty spilled out and eventually exposed the vulnerable core that she knew was in her...ripe and ready to be scalped.

" What can I get for you?" He asked warmly.

When Alice failed to say anything, the man sat down on the bed and waited. He knew that Alice had a lot of pride, so if she did want something he would have to figure it out and make it seem as though it was his request or offer instead. But he didn't mind.

Eventually, he laid back across the end of the bed, stretched out with his arms above his head. And just as he thought, she waited a few second until she scooted next to him, she dug in her pocket and retrieved Emily then placed the doll on his chest before she laid beside him; turning on over and curling up.

**XXX**

It was going on eleven thirty at night, and Gilbert and Oz sat at the dinning room table eating a slice of blueberry pie that Martha had made for the house. Gilbert noticed that Oz had his face in his palm and how he used his fork to push mashed berries back and forth on his plate; he had barely eaten his food.

" You're worried about that dumb rabbit, aren't you?"

" No. I know Alice can handle herself."

" Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"…I'm not convinced." Gilbert said.

" You don't think Alice is capable of protecting herself?" Oz asked with interest.

" No…I'm just not convinced that you're not concerned."

Gilbert got up and took both their dishes from the table.

" I'm going to start packing." He said quietly.

Gilbert saw Oz nod, then the raven headed for the kitchen with the plates. But, instead of actually going to the kitchen, he stood in the hallway outside the dining room...waiting for it. He knew it was coming; and it did.

After a few minutes he heard Oz's chair move back across the floor, and then the spinning sound of the phone dial. And with each long turn of the rotating numbers, Gilbert's heart clenched. Each worried sigh that Oz released, the raven's throat tightened, and every time the blond cleared his voice, Gilbert's spine went ridged.

" _Hey Break...Is Alice there?....can I speak with her...Oh...I see. No, no it's fine. I was just making sure. Do you think you could bring her back tomorrow?....What time will you drop her off? No it's not that...I just had somewhere I'd like to take her...Ok...sounds good, thanks. Bye."_

**OOO**

The phone just had to ring and mess everything up. Alice finally felt the man beginning to play in her hair…and it felt so good to her. She finally felt calm.

But then the phone rang and he had to hover over her body to answer it. The whole time she could hear him half lying to Oz about her being asleep, and making plans to drop her off, but she could only really focus on his warm leg pressing into the side of her hip, and his increased body temperature mixing with her rising one.

When he was done on the phone he crawled over her completely and stood up as if he were going to leave.

" What did he say?" Alice said, trying to halt the man's departure.

" He said he wants to take you out tomorrow..." The man said with a disappointed sigh.

Alice sat up, " What if I told you...that I don't want to go?"

Break paused for a moment and looked down at the girl on the bed, before leaning down and cupping her face in his warm hands.

" Then I would tell you that you were a liar." He smirked.

" How does that make me a liar?" She said softly, refusing to fight away the comforting feeling she had as he caressed her face.

" I know you don't really mean that." He brushed her bangs out of her eyes, "But if you _did _mean it...I would tell you I'm glad, because I don't want to take you back there anyway."

He concluded his words with a light kiss to the girls forehead, one that lasted a few heavenly seconds before he turned to leave the room.

Alice snapped out of her tranquil high a moment to late, because when she reached out to grab the back of his jacket, he was already 5 inches out of reach, steadily progressing to the door before he left out of it.

**XXX**

Gilbert tossed his silverware into the sink with a big clank, and braced his palms against the counter while his head dropped down toward his chest.

What was he doing wrong? Didn't Oz understand that he would do anything for him? _Anything. _There was no reason for the blond to keep requesting to have Alice at his side.

And yes he was being selfish, he knew that, from the first day he met Alice he was being selfish. The first time she tried to claim Oz he made it clear to her that she couldn't...because Oz didn't belong to her.

And even though he was ashamed to admit it to himself, when he first learned about her, he even wanted her dead...knowing she was destroying Oz in a silent slow disappearance that was probably worst then death.

Gilbert walked to his room and closed the door, he stormed over to the closet and pulled out his suitcase and threw it on the bed. The more he thought about what happened the more angry he got, to the point that he was ripping clothes out of his dresser draw and throwing them on the floor as he looked for some shirts to wear.

He was very nervous about leaving Oz alone with her. However, another part of him was glad that he would have some space to cool down, because he just didn't know what to think...all he could do was feel. But he did know that he didn't want to settle for half of the boy's heart anymore.

He was tired of competing with the chain, fed up to be exact. And no...he wasn't truly in a position to make such demands...but still...Why should he keep throwing his heart at Oz if the boy-

Gilbert stopped rummaging through bitter thoughts and clothing when he caught the reflection of Oz in the dark window. Oz was standing in the doorway. The boy looked wary, completely opposite of his usual smiling self. And Gilbert noticed that he was fidgeting with his red tie, loosening it lazily...but it came across slightly seductive.

_I can't give into him._

" Gil...come to bed with me."

Gilbert didn't even turn around to speak to the boy face to face. He swallowed hard before attempting to decline the tempting demand.

" I.." Gilbert cleared his throat to get back his strength and closed his eyes while he spoke firmly.

" I have to finish packing." He said, back still turned to the boy, as he began to fold a random shirt because his hands were starting to tremble.

Before he knew it, Oz was directly behind him, his small hands were slowly sliding up Gilbert's toned back. And Gilbert struggled to suppress a shudder and keep his will power from escaping.

" You can do it in the morning." Oz said sleepily as he finally weaseled his way between Gilbert and the dresser; closing the open draw as he pushed his back against it

Gilbert watched Oz lean against it, and the boys knee was starting to poke into Gilbert's thigh...it was absolutely enthralling. Gilbert tried to hold fast to his conviction, so he didn't look away. He couldn't let Oz win.

But his reason for battling was beginning to cloud over as he watch the boy's head tilt to the side, and his pretty green eyes narrow in suspicion.

Gilbert bit his lip when Oz reached up to run his fingers along his bicep.

" You're mad at me?" The boy asked softly.

Gilbert's eyes were the first to betray him, as they got heavily caught up in Oz's emerald half gaze. Then his head turned against him, shaking slowly a few times as his teeth were on the verge of making his bottom lip bleed.

His voice followed, committing treason against his will when he spoke,"..It's not that...I just.."

He nearly lost himself when Oz placed his hands on his chest and started unbuttoning his shirt.

" Oz..." Gilbert whispered, closing his eyes in pleasure when the boy's cool hands slipped onto his bare chest

" I understand if you're mad about what I said to Break earlier" Oz kissed the scar across Gilbert's chest, "But, you know that I just try to make sure Alice isn't sad. Right?"

Gilbert could only comprehend the fact that Oz knew he had listened in on the conversation, but the rest of his mind was shut down as the boy left hot kisses across his scar.

" And Gil also knows that when I'm with her...I don't touch her like Gil touches me..." Oz said, flicking his thumbs across the man's nipples at the same time he looked back up at him.

Gilbert nodded, and that was it for him.

His body became the biggest traitor of all, because it reacted quickly; his hands swiftly took Oz and lead him to the bed. He pushed the suitcase out the way and placed the boy on the bed, all the while listening to Oz to gasp with expelled excitement.

He pressed his lips hard against Oz's. And the boy had already started opening his mouth for a wet fast paced kiss. They kissed had all the heat and burning energy that they had left in them for the day. And from Gilbert's point of view, it was a lot of heat since the boy wrapped his legs around Gilbert's back so tightly that the man felt his loins fill up within seconds.

Oz had done some mean things to him, throwing cats in his face, pushing him into things, tossing him from trees to see if he could fly....but Gilbert put up with it. Not only because the boy was his master...but because Oz was _everything_ to him; from the reason he woke up in the morning to the reason why he need to get his rest.

So... simply put, he _could not_ deny him, and as a result...he could never resist the boy either, especially not after he was finally allowed to have him in all the _other _ways he desired.

* * *

**Authors Note:** "Whooo...*Wipes brow* So sorry this chapter was so long :( but it didn't feel right to split it into two. Ummm...I'm in the process of finishing up finals and I also have to update my other story before those readers try to jump out the computer and murder me LOL. So I'll try really hard to be speedy with the next chapter when things slow down a bit. But I'm really excited about how this is going...everyone in this community has been so good to me. Thanks for that :)

Until next time.

- Rage


	5. Cold

Hey :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or of any of it's characters.

* * *

**XXX Cold XXX**

Oz slept hard that previous night. Maybe because he burned so much energy running from that crazy house with Gilbert, maybe it was from staying up way past his usual bed time; or it could have been because he and Gilbert had repeated their " intimate acts" when they finally hit the sheets.

Oz smiled in his semi conscious sleep, waking up to the thought of how incredibly talented Gilbert was with his tongue…but when he opened his eyes he panicked a little.

At first he thought that he was missing a leg, since he couldn't even feel his toes. But when he looked under the covers he saw that Gilbert had fallen asleep on him. Oz blushed when he looked at the predicament; he was naked from the waist down with a black hair man lying on his upper thigh. Oz blushed deeper when he tried to wake up the man.

" Gil, move over."

"..hum?" The man mumbled without opening his eyes.

" I can't move with you laying on me."

"..." Gilbert had already gone back to snoring.

Oz sighed and decided to rip his leg out from underneath him, it took a lot of strength, but he managed to pull his leg out; instantly getting pins and needles shooting throughout his limb.

The biggest insult was that Gilbert moved _after_ Oz was finally off the bed. But the blond still smiled at his sleeping servant and put on his green shorts; heading into the bathroom to take a bath.

**-::::::::-**

Oz may have been rich, and familiar with the life of wealth and leisure more than most people his age would ever know, but that didn't mean he was sheltered and completely oblivious. He read books, many, and his years of keeping his eyes rolling across word after word only resulted in him stumbling across a few books that weren't meant for his immature mentality; at least it wasn't when he first saw them.

So he kept it a secret when he saw the pictures of Greek and Roman paintings exposing young men and grown men's ..."areas." He never even told Gilbert that he saw these same painting develop more and more into sexual positions the more he turned pages. And those images stay with him throughout his younger teenage days, popping into his head every so often and sending him a shiver.

And now that he was older, he was ready to blow the dust off of them and hand them over to someone who would need the knowledge...someone like Gilbert. Who else would he entrust such a thing to? Oz also had a feeling that Gilbert was unaware that there was another step that could be taken...even if they didn't take it soon; it was still good to be prepared.

So he crept into the library, and pulled out the book from the dark corner on the lowest shelf. He opened the yellow rimmed pages to make sure it was what he was looking for...then he went back to Gilbert's room. While the man was in the bathroom, he snuck them in his suitcase under his black pants, not forgetting to add a book mark to the pages that he needed to see the most.

**OOO**

Break ran up to the phone and cleared this throat pleasantly before answering.

" Rainsworth residence."

" Hey Break, it's Oz. Umm.. I just wanted to know if you're still bringing Alice back."

" Oz, do you know what time it is?"

Break could tell that the boy was probably looking at the clock.

" ...ahh...it's nine thirty."

" Very good. Now...do you remember what time you told me to drop Alice off?"

" ( Sigh) In the afternoon."

The man chuckled " If you keep calling this early you won't give me the chance to be late."

"...Were you planning to be late."

" Not necessarily…"

**-::::::::-**

Alice was in the process of sinking further under the heated water of the luxurious bath that Break had drawn for her, when she heard a knock on the door.

" What is it?"

" Alice, I have some clothes for you, is it Ok if I come in?" Sharon asked in her too kind voice.

Alice looked down at herself seeing that the dense white bubbles covered her body, then she pulled the bath curtain all the way over so she was hidden.

" ...Come in."

Sharon walked into the steamy room and shut the door. She sat in the chair next to the tub.

" Your clothes are still drying outside, so I brought you a dress that I think you'll fit."

" Thanks" Alice said from behind the curtain.

" And I also have some good news for you. I heard Break on the phone with Oz…and he seems really excited for you to go out with him today!"

" ...Really." Alice said with little interest, playing with the clear soap bubbles on her knees.

" Yes. And guess what else?"

" (sigh) What?"

" I over heard Break say that Gilbert won't be there for a few days...isn't that wonderful? You'll get to spend so much time with Oz!"

Alice listened to the excited girl go on, she really believed Sharon was more happy than she was. Or maybe the question was...Was Alice happy at all?

**XXX**

That afternoon felt like a busy one. Gilbert was rushing around the house gathering things he would need to take with him, and orienting Martha to the work she would need to pick up while he was gone. Like making Oz lunch if Mrs. Kate was busy, and cleaning the blond's room. He even wrote out an elaborate list of the things Oz liked and didn't like to eat, what type of tea he drank and the precise measurements of sugar and honey he placed in the cup. He even added how Oz liked his bed made and his clothes washed.

Meanwhile, Oz paced back and forth on the verandah, waiting for the Rainsworth carriage to finally show up. He couldn't believe it, he had told Break to be there at eleven thirty and it was already twelve seventeen.

He knew Break did it on purpose.

That thought seemed to stop his pacing. Suddenly, he felt the skin around his seal begin to tingle lightly. All at once he felt ice cold air flowing in his body, blowing up from in his stomach and making his ribs feel frost bitten and heavy.

He couldn't breathe.

He started to feel lightheaded and that feeling seemed to absorb his thoughts like a sponge, and for some reason, it felt natural. Before he knew it, his eyes were turning up in their lids…and he was swaying a little.

"OZ!"

Gilbert ran up to the boy and caught him before he collapsed. He was grateful that he just happened to be going out there at that time. After a few seconds Oz's wide eyes fluttered in confusion and he looked up at Gilbert as if he hadn't been on the verge of fainting.

" What's wrong?" The boy said, indirectly questioning why the man's arms were around him.

" You almost passed out." He said like it was obvious. He helped Oz to his feet and led the boy over to the steps so he could sit down.

"...Oh…. Well, it is hot today." The blond absently looked around the lawn, " I'm probably just thirsty." He turned his eyes back on his servant, and Gilbert just looked at him with traces of disbelief in his gaze.

" Are you sure that's the reason?" Gilbert asked skeptically.

Oz nodded and watched the black haired man get up and sigh.

" I'll get you some water."

" Thanks." Oz turned and watched Gilbert open the door, " Gil, do you think you could make some lemonade before you leave. Mrs. Kate never makes it sweet enough." He whispered out the last words with a light laugh.

" I might just go easy on the sugar too...if you're dehydrated the sugar might make it worst."

Oz nodded in understanding and watched the man go back inside.

**OOO**

During the ride to the Vessalius estate Alice stared out the window. Her mind mulled over having to going back so soon, and her fingers scratched at her neck; since the lace collar from the dress she borrowed made her neck itchy.

She noticed that Break looked annoyed too, which was somewhat surprising. Alice wondered what Oz might have said to the man to make his mood come down from its usual high altitude. Or maybe he wasn't down; she could have been mistaking his silence for agitation.

When she noticed the trees becoming more familiar, she realized that they had almost arrived, and she couldn't help but let out a heavy breath.

" Don't look so down, Alice. You'll end up making Oz feel bad."

" Who cares how he feels." She spat.

" My, my...those are very bitter words coming from such sweet lips." The mad man dug into his brown "purse" and retrieved a piece of green candy.

" Here." He held his hand out for her to take it " This will help you get rid of the bad taste in your mouth."

Alice sucked her teeth and smacked the man's hand away, causing the candy to fall on the floor and roll to some forgotten place in the carriage.

" I _don't_ have a bad taste in my mouth." She crossed her arms and looked back out the window.

Break smirked and got up, leaning forward and pinning one of his hands against the back of the seat, so that Alice's vision was blocked by his arm. She looked back at him, and before she could yell, he pushed some of her hair behind her ear.

When he brought his hand back there was a red piece of candy held between his thumb and index finger…a classic trick.

Her mouth opened briefly as she realized what he did. But he used the opportunity to slip the candy passed her soft lips and into her mouth. Then he sat back in his seat.

An overwhelming sweetness invaded her taste buds, but she pushed the candy to the side of her mouth so she could speak.

"I didn't say you could do that! And what kind of man carries around a bag full of sweets?"

" I think everyone should, it comes in handy." He said, placing a few candies in his mouth.

" …You're a freak." She mumbled and looked back out the window, unable to stop a small smile from slipping onto her face as she let the candy melt away in her mouth.

Break sat back in satisfaction, all he really wanted was to see her smile before he handed her over to Oz, and he succeeded in getting one.

**XXX**

When Oz saw the Rainsworth carriage show up, he walked up to it and tried to get the irritation out of his creased brow, and upturn his frown. He took a deep breath and before he could reach for the handle the carriage door opened up.

" Good afternoon, Oz." Break said stepping out.

Oz nodded in response, not feeling like the man deserved a full greeting.

Oz walked closer to the carriage and tried to look inside, but Alice was already getting out. Even though he could tell that she was wearing Sharon's dress, he almost felt like he saw her in something similar before…it felt nostalgic.

Oz quickly went beside her and helped her get out, but she protested his assistance.

"Alice, are you ready to go to the lake with me today?" He said happily.

Alice looked back at Break, and then she looked at Oz, "Maybe later...I'm tiered." She said, beginning to turn away and walk to the house.

Oz hadn't felt that rejected in a long time, not to mention embarrassed. But he hid it.

" That's Ok...I'll wait until you're settled down then." The blond called out to her.

As he watched her walk away, he heard Break's voice literally break into his thoughts.

" Oz, is your uncle home? I'd like to have a word with him."

" Yeah, he's here. But can I talk to you first?" Oz asked, turning to the man to gauge his response.

" Of course, where would you like to talk."

" We can talk in the back."

Oz started walking and Break followed behind him. Oz led the man through the grass and along the side of the main building, and they ended up on the back patio where there were chairs and a table with a bowl of fruit on it.

Oz sat down first and Break sat across from him; taking a green apple out of the bowl.

" So...what would you like to discuss, Oz?" He asked with his face in his palm and his other hand turning the apple so he could examine it for bruises.

" Would you mind calling me when Alice is over there, just so I know she's safe."

Break took a large bite of his apple before responding, " Are you sure you're making the right request?"

" What do you mean?" Oz swatted at a bug that was flying around him.

" Are you more concerned about where Alice is? (crunch) Or what she's doing while she's there?"

Oz could feel that his eyes were getting more critical the more he looked at the man.

" I just want you to let me know when she's there, that's all." He shifted in his seat.

" I can't promise you that, Oz. Alice is her own person, and she's very independent and autonomous. Therefore, if she comes to the Rainsworth mansion in confidence, I have no right to let you know that." Break took another bite and spoke through his full mouth, "It's nothing personal."

" What if I call there..." Oz leaned further toward the table "Will you tell me then?"

" That's all relative to the circumstance." He swallowed down his food. "And you're speaking as if you expect her to pay us another visit."

" These days...I'm not really sure what to expect from her." Oz looked to the side.

" Then maybe you should be more concerned about _why_ she's making these visits, opposed to trying to monitor when she makes them. "

Oz looked back at him with a raised brow, " I'm assuming you know why she's going over there?"

" Even if I do...it's something you'll need to figure out for yourself." Break took four quick bites of his apple, finished it, then stood up from the table so he could leave; but Oz stood up to stop him.

" Break, if there's something wrong with Alice, I think I have the right to know, she's my chain."

" Oh, is that all she is to you?" Break said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

" I didn't...I didn't mean for it to come out like that, but-"

" But if you said she's 'my friend' then you wouldn't be able to elevate your status with her above mine or Miss Sharon's...or anyone else that's associated to Miss Alice. Correct?"

" Well, I guess, but…She _is_ my friend. To be honest, I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with her going over there alone anymore...every time she comes back she seems distant. I'm worried about her."

Oz could tell that he finally got to the man; Break was clearly not trying to hide his aggravation.

" What is it that you think we're doing to her?" Break said, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward.

" I don't know...but this didn't start happening until recently."

" So, you find it more productive to point the finger at the Rainsworth residence than to reflect on your own involvement in the situation."

" _My involvement? _I haven't done anything differently; in fact, I've treated her with even more consideration than other times." Oz said each word with confidence and surety.

" Really?" Break said flatly, completely unimpressed by the boy, "Does that include all the times you've been having secret meetings with a certain Nightray?"

Oz's muscles went cold, and he could feel his chest starting to sting again; his hard eyes turned into a full blown glare.

" Nightray...What does Gilbert have to do with this?"

Break looked truly puzzled by Oz's words, so puzzled that he walked up to the boy to get a better look at him.

"...Who in the world am I speaking to right now?" Break asked quietly.

" I don't know what you're talking about..."Oz said with a nervous laugh, that unintentionally made him look guilty.

Break placed his hand on his chin and held it there as he thought out loud.

" The Oz I know wouldn't be this controlling...or in denial for that matter. And I also haven't known you to call "Gilbert" by his whole name."

Oz took a step back, shook his head, and turned away, "I think this conversation's over, Break."

" Yes...I agree." Break said with clear suspicion flowing from his tone and his red eye. " If you'll excuse me." The white haired man walked off the patio and walked up the side of the house.

Oz watched Break leave, and then sighed with relief when the man was gone. The boy scratched his head.

_Why did I call Gil 'Gilbert'?..._

**OOO**

After ten minutes of listening to Mrs. Kate tell her about how happy she was to see her, and explain how she was going to make her a wonderful dinner, Alice finally escaped to the kitchen so she could get away from the woman's rambling and pour herself a glass of water; but Gilbert was already in there.

Alice decided to ignore him and go about her business, until she noticed that he was blocking the sink while he stirred a pitcher of lemonade.

" Move, you're in my way." She demanded.

" Learn how to say 'excuse me' and then I'll think about it." The man retorted.

Instead of arguing Alice sat up on the counter and crossed her legs, knowing exactly how to get to the man.

" Don't fret seaweed head...I know you're just mad that you have to leave Oz with me today."

Gilbert ignored her and continued to sir the lemonade.

"You know something...maybe I will take Oz up on his offer to go to the lake."

She hopped off the counter and went toward the door, "Oh Oz!...I-"

Gilbert walked up to the girl and grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her backward. She winced when she stumbled back and banged her shoulder against the corner of the door frame.

"I know you already know about us...so don't even think about touching him while I'm gone..."

" And if I do?" She smirked, ripping her arm out of his hold, and pushing him back.

" You _little harlot_...I swear.."

" Gil!...Where'd you go...?" Oz called from somewhere down the hall.

Alice watched the man glare at her, then he hurried to go find Oz; like an obedient dog running to its owner. She stood there alone in the kitchen, arm going to her shoulder so she could rub the pain away. She laughed quietly to herself, because the whole thing was just stupid. Alice already knew that Gilbert basically won Oz's favor…but Gilbert was so damn insecure that he didn't even realize that.

And the only way she could take the defeat with her head held up high was to use the remainder of Oz's mixed messages to throw back in the man's face, but she knew those messages would end to…as soon as Oz's heart was completely taken.

And at that point…she didn't really care if it was.

**-::::::::::-**

When Alice went into her bedroom, she was surprised to see a present on her bed. It was wrapped in gold paper and had a white bow around it. She walked up to her bed and sat down, thinking that the present was probably from Oz; which was odd because the last thing the boy ever bought her was a bag of muffins from the bakery, and that was during the first year she lived there.

But as she began to open it her heart flipped when she realized what it was. Just to make sure, Alice opened the wooden box and instantly heard the pretty melody play as the small figurine twirled around gracefully.

She bit her lip to hold back a large smile.

She noticed that there was a piece of paper in the box, she picked it up and opened it; Out slipped the silver pearl necklace as it slid back down into the box. She gasped when she picked it up and admired it. The chain felt cold against her palm, but the caged pearl shimmered brighter than ever as the sunlight in the room brought out the vibrant purple color.

She had a hard time accepting the fact that Break had bought her such lovely things. No one had ever really given her anything before, except for the essentials, like food and clothes. But something like that! Never...not until that moment.

She looked at the paper and it had seven numbers on it: 114-4647 with the words 'Just in case' written next to it. She finally let her smile out completely. She took the necklace and raced up to the mirror so she could see what it looked like on her.

She almost wanted to stomp on her own feet for acting so giddy, but she supposed it was Ok since no one was there to see her.

She unclasped the silver chain and put it around her neck, then took as step back to admire it. It certainly looked pretty hanging there, and she noticed that it matched her eyes perfectly.

The only thing that threw it off was the yellow dress that Sharon gave her to wear. Alice sighed knowing she should find something else to wear, something that didn't have an itchy collar made out of lace.

But before she did that, she turned her eyes back out the window, feeling a cramping loneliness take over her when she saw Break's carriage finally leaving. She was unsure of when she'd see the white haired man again…even if it was just to say thank you.

**XXX**

The raven found himself outside with the blond, lugging his suitcase over to the carriage and setting it neatly on the seat. Gilbert climbed back out to say his final goodbye to the boy, but then he noticed that Oz looked completely out of it; like he was frozen in empty space.

It was disturbing.

Gilbert tried to call Oz's name, but he got no response. If he didn't know any better, he would swear that Oz was in the middle of a heated mental battle, one that left his green eyes large, round, and void. It took Gilbert to tap the blond's forehead with the back of his fingers in order to bring the boy back from his narcosis.

Oz flinched and rubbed his forehead before he looked up at Gilbert.

"...Sorry about that, guess I wasn't paying attention." He laughed.

" Are you Ok?" Gilbert asked with deep concern.

" Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."

Gilbert looked around to make sure they were alone, then he took Oz's arm and lead him to the opposite side of the carriage so they had privacy.

" Ever since you got off the phone with Break this morning...you haven't been right."

" You're imagining things." Oz laughed and grabbed the front of Gilbert's black jacket pulling the man against him, then swaying them side to side playfully. " I told you I'm doing Ok...but, I will miss you while you're gone." He smiled sadly.

Gilbert knew that if true love had a physical look, it would have been encased in the genuineness of the boys gaze; that made the raven feel good. Gilbert touched the boy's cheek and caressed it gently before leaning down and kissing his warm lips.

He was relieved that the boy responded immediately, kissing him back with a fit of deep affection, and the sweetness of sugary desire. Gilbert could have stayed like that for three eternities, but, he decided to be the one to end it, sliding his tongue back into his mouth and pecking Oz one last time.

As soon as he pulled away he heard Oz take in two quick sharp breaths; looking at Gilbert with stress lines in his brow and glassy eyes. Then the boy embraced him tightly.

"Oz..." Gilbert felt stunned and his heart raced with worry. His arms hugged the boy back, one hand beginning to pat down his fluffy blond hair. But he needed to see his face again...just to make sure.

Gilbert broke the embrace and cupped the boys face with both hands...feeling like he was half a second away from calling Vincent and telling him he wasn't going. But Oz cleared his throat and pulled away.

" Don't worry about me" He gave a light laugh; a fake one. "Just get going before I change my mind." He said squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Gilbert didn't even get the chance to get a good look at the boy before Oz started walking back to the house. Gilbert called out to him.

" Oz! Make sure you answer the phone!"

" I will!" The boy said, looking back and giving a slight wave before he broke into a jog; leaving Gilbert to get in the carriage with a chest full of apprehension, and heavy anxiety beginning to crush in the sides of his temples.

Oz watched the carriage take his precious servant. He couldn't tell Gilbert that he was afraid for him to go. He couldn't admit to the man that he truly wasn't feeling right that day. His chest felt cold, and the suffocating feeling seemed to double in strength… like something inside him knew Gilbert wasn't around anymore.

**XXX**

When Gilbert arrived at the Nightray mansion, he sighed deeply and started walking up one side of the double stairs. The place seemed deserted when he walked in, there weren't even servants buzzing around like there usually were.

He walked up the next flight of stairs and reached his brothers room. Gilbert entered the room silently, and placed his suitcase next to the door. He was shocked that the smell of sickness didn't clog his nose; the air was clear. And his brother, slept very still in his large bed with the cream colored blankets.

When the older male walked up to his brother, he stood over the bed for a moment before trying to reach his hand out to feel Vincent's pale forehead; but the man opened his mix matched eyes before he touched him.

"Brother...you made it." The man said with groggy excitement.

" How are you feeling?"

" I haven't (cough) seemed to get any better." Vincent tried to pull himself up in bed.

" When's the last time you had some medicine." Gilbert said, helping his brother get comfortable.

" I don't really remember...maybe around nine or ten. Echo gave me some before she left (sniffle)."

" Where is it?"

Vincent pointed a shaky finger at the dresser, and Gilbert walked over and retrieved the bottle. Next to it was a small paper that said to give two table spoons every three to four hours. Gilbert calculated the amount time in his head and grabbed the small spoon. When he returned to his brother's side, Vincent backed away and coughed.

" Please use gloves (cough)…The doctor said I'm contagious."

Gilbert sighed, "Are you strong enough to take it yourself until I find some?"

Vincent nodded and smiled at his brother, reaching his hand out to take the medicine from him. When Gilbert turned to go search for some gloves and other things he would need, he heard a clinking sound behind him.

When he looked back he saw the medicine spilling onto the bed and the spoon resting on the floor, while the long haired man tried to stop the bottle from dripping onto the covers. Gilbert rushed over and grabbed the bottle, noticing that the majority of it had spilled. He placed it on the night table, then picked the spoon up and held it as he looked over the reddish medicine stains on the bed.

" I'm sorry...I thought I'd be able to do it myself." Vincent said sadly.

" It's fine...I'll go get some clean blankets. Have you eaten yet?" Gilbert looked back at the nightstand and noticed a small gold bell that Vincent was most likely using to alert people if he needed them.

" I haven't had much of an appetite."

" …You have to eat something. I'll make you some soup."

Vincent reached his hand out and let it run up and down Gilbert's arm affectionately.

" You're so good to me...I hope I didn't cause too much trouble requesting you to come here (sneeze)."

" No...Oz was fine with it." Gilbert said. He turned away and headed for the door.

" Were _you_ Ok with it?" Vincent asked, causing Gilbert to halt at the door.

"...Ring the bell if you need anything." Gilbert said, deliberately ignoring the man's question.

**XXX**

Oz couldn't remember how he ended up outside of Alice's bedroom door, or why he would need to be there. But when he opened it something stirred in him. It started in his chest and turned from cold to hot in seconds. It moved down to his stomach and seemed to crawl around and nip at his muscles, making him shudder.

He didn't realize it, but his green eyes darkened as he watched her look for clothes to cover her naked form.

She definitely possessed the body of a rare beauty. And as he appreciated her body, he also inspected it from a distance. He looked for the normal signs: red spots, bite marks, scratches… but thankfully there was nothing; except a thick red line on her shoulder that looked like a bruise.

" Damn it Oz! Don't you know how to knock!"

Oz was startled when the girl yelled at him, watching her grab a shirt and cover herself. Oz covered his eyes...shocked that he hadn't done that in the first place.

" I'm sorry Alice, I didn't-"

" GET OUT!"

" Ok I'm leaving."

Oz quickly shut the door and hurried down the hall with a blush. He never would have done that before; well maybe he would have a few years ago...but, as of that year Oz had never once found himself getting aroused by the girl's body. Yes she was beautiful, but her beauty didn't really do anything for him personally, he was more captivated by Gilbert's firm build than Alice's delicate frame, but...

Oz quickly went into the bathroom and slammed the door, he walked over to the sink and hovered over it, before turning the water on and splashing is heated face. Oz looked up at the mirror, watching water drip down from the tips of his wet bangs and chin.

_...What's happening to me?_

**XXX**

Vincent wasn't the easiest person to take care of. Then again, it could have been that Gilbert just wasn't in the mood to take care of him. The raven had changed Vincent's bedding twice, once to remove the medicine stained covers, and another time to clean up the soup that Vincent knocked over.

Every time his brother rang the bell Gilbert would roll his eyes, mostly because he was always in the middle of doing something else, like making a phone call to the doctor so he could get more medicine delivered; though, every time he called no one ever picked up the phone.

Currently, Gilbert was standing outside his brother's room. He felt a cold chill run through his nerves when he peered in and saw Vincent's chain floating above him. As usual, the Dormouse was curled up in a ball, eyes closed and the gold turner sticking up from it's back…glistening in the dim candle light.

Gilbert didn't know why he found the mouse unnerving; maybe it was because on the outside it looked harmless and innocent, but it was still a mystery to Gilbert, he didn't even know what its powers were. He also figured it had to do with the fact that it crept out sometimes, and he didn't know of other legal chains that did that.

The eerie feeling it gave him was almost ridiculous since he had tamed a Raven...which was much more frightening than a mouse... but still, he didn't like the thing.

Gilbert reached his arm into the room, and grabbed his suitcase; he had forgotten to take it out of the room earlier that day. He brought it into the hallway and shut the door. As he started walking away his first thought was to call Oz and check on him. But his plans were interrupted when he heard Vincent's bell.

Gilbert sighed and put his suitcase down, then walked back to this brother's room. He opened the door seeing that the chain was no longer there, and then he walked up to the bed.

" Do you need something?" He asked.

" Can...You help me into the bathroom?"

Gilbert proceeded to remove the covers so he could help lift up his brother. He noticed that the man felt warm, but the normal kind of warm that anyone would be if they were under covers all day.

He pushed the thought aside and traded it in for concentration, and tried to suppress the rising disappointment that his call to Oz would have to wait.

**XXX**

That night, Oz and Alice ate a very quiet dinner. Mrs. Kate had went out of her way to make sure that she cooked the most delectable pot roast with stewed potatoes and the freshest snap peas from the garden. She even spent the day making a variety of cakes for them to have.

But Oz still watched Alice pick at her food. She didn't shovel it down like she usually would, and she didn't demand seconds because she didn't finish the first helping. Oz was baffled, and soon the girl was ready to get up from the table.

" I'm going to bed." She announced with sleep in her voice.

" Ok. Was there anything that you wanted to do tomorrow?"

She shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

" I guess I'll think of something then...Maybe we can go in town." He offered.

" Yeah...Maybe." Alice pushed in her chair and began to walk to her room.

Oz watched her leave, leaning back in his chair and sipping his lemonade. The girl was becoming an enigma to him..he didn't like it. It felt like the situation had already played out once before...The girl was changing, becoming less and less like the Alice he knew. And he, had to find out why.

**-::::::::-**

It was late when Alice crept out of her room and tried to use the phone. She lit a candle to see the numbers on the dial, and it took her three tries before she actually got the hang of it. She could hear the shrilling noise on the other end of the receiver.

_Brring...Brrring...Brrriggg_

And then...

"(Yawn) Rainsworth residents."

"..."

" Hello?"

"..."

Alice hung up the phone. She couldn't do it. She didn't think hearing his voice was going to cause her to back out. But this time, she had no real reason to bother him, not only that, but he sounded tired, and it was going on midnight.

So Alice decided to just take a quick walk instead. Maybe that's all she really wanted was some air...and maybe if she walked far enough she just might happen to…

She blew out the candle and headed to the dark kitchen to go out the side door. Sure she was still in her white nightgown, but she didn't care. She opened the door with excitement, but then she jumped when she heard a voice behind her, and a chair being moved.

" Alice...where are you going?" Oz asked sadly.

Alice's heart was racing. _Was he down here the whole time?_

"I wanted some air." Alice said quickly, turning to see the dark figure of the boy coming up to her.

They just stood there looking at each other before Oz broke the silence.

"If you want…you can sleep in my room tonight?" He said quietly.

Alice didn't even know what to say, she wasn't expecting him to offer that, but for some reason, she was a little afraid to say no.

" Umm...alright."

She felt Oz softly take her hand and guide her through the house. She felt weird just following in silence, so she tried to make small talk.

" Have you been up all night?" She asked.

" Yeah, I couldn't sleep." He said simply.

When they got back to his room Oz shut the door then motioned for her to get into the bed, but she hesitated.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

" Nothing..." She said softly, then proceeded to get onto the large mattress. Alice moved over to the farthest side of the bed watching Oz get in it and lay down next to her.

She laid flat on her back for a while, and when that became too much, she turned over on her side, facing the window instead of him.

She tensed when the boy started rubbing her arm; but her eyes continued to watch the window with emptiness.

She assumed that she would have been happy to receive the affection if she was sure that he wasn't thinking about Gilbert, but she wasn't sure…so she couldn't enjoy it.

" I should take you back to the rose gardens ( yawn) you always liked it there..."

Alice was glad he couldn't see her face...because her features had scrunched up into bewilderment. She had no idea what Oz was talking about; the boy never had taken her to any gardens. She figured that he was just exhausted and mumbling gibberish to her.

And to help prove that, she felt his hands come to a stop, and drop down behind her back, followed by his light breathing. He was asleep.

So Alice lay in his bed feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She deeply wished that she had fallen asleep before him, so she wasn't left to stay awake alone. And the only thing she found comfort in was playing with the small caged pearl around her neck.

After a long twenty minutes she was grateful that her eyes felt heavy. As she began drifting in a light sleep, her ears caught the sound of footsteps outside. She thought she was hearing things, but then her curiosity got the best of her.

Alice gently got up from the bed and looked out the window. Even in the darkness she knew it was him, since his white hair was easy to spot.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she bit her lip.

Alice looked back at the bed seeing that Oz's eyes were still closed, and then she quickly left the room, and shut the door silently; only beginning to run when she was down the hall.

Alice opened the front door, and walked down the stairs.

" What are you doing here?" She asked, walking up to the man.

"I came to check on you. You called didn't you?"

"...I was only calling to...thank you for the necklace and the music box...that's all." She lied.

" You're very welcome" He laughed. " But if that was all, you shouldn't have hung up. You could have saved me a trip." He said happily.

" You walked all the way here?"

" No, I let the carriage drop me off halfway."

" How will you get back?" She asked curiously.

" Walking of course."

" But...you told me it's dangerous to walk."

" Yes it is, for a girl."

Alice laughed hard " So what if I'm a girl. I'm still stronger than a skinny clown."

He smiled, " You're so cruel, Miss Alice. You might just succeed in hurting my feelings one of these days" The man chuckled.

" If I do that means you had it coming." She smiled.

" Perhaps…"He said, considering the possibility.

After their banter tapered off and a few seconds of comfortable quiet, Break spoke.

" Well, if everything's in order, then I should be on my way..."

" Wait." She stepped closer to him, "I mean...you can come inside if you want."

Break looked up at the house.

" I'm not sure if-"

Alice grabbed his hand and started leading him to the door.

" Don't say something stupid like Oz won't like it...I don't want to hear that."

Break laughed quietly in response and let the girl sneak him into the house.

When they passed by the kitchen the girl stopped.

" Did you want a drink or something." She asked.

" Are you offering to make me one?"

" Do you want one or not?" She whispered.

" I am quite parched…Tea would be nice."

Alice gulped slightly; knowing she never made tea before, but she still walked over, lit a candle, and took a cup out of the cabinet anyway. She tried to see what canister had the tea leaves in it. She randomly chose one and scooped out a large hand full and placed it in the kettle. Before she could add water, she felt Break standing beside her.

" I see that you're still pretty useless." The man said hopelessly.

" I'm not _useless_...this is tea isn't it?"

" Yes... but the portion of leaves you're trying to put in the kettle will end up absorbing most of the water...and the water should be boiled before the leaves are placed in it."

" Oh...well, how was I supposed to know." She said defensively.

" How about I make the tea this time."

" Fine." She huffed and walked to a seat at the table.

"Though… I do think it's cute that you tried." He said with a smirk as he turned his head to look at her.

"Whatever..." She blushed.

Alice sat at the table and watched him quietly make the tea, boiling the water and filling the cups like a professional. He placed sugar and honey in them, and swirled a spoon in them to mix it up. Eventually he brought her a cup, and before she took a sip she spoke.

"I think we should drink it in my room." She said, not putting it passed Oz to pop out the shadows again.

"...Lead the way."

Alice got out of her seat and began walking down the hall, feeling Break follow close behind her. She was careful not to drop the hot liquid in her hand, nor make noise as she made her way back to her room.

She opened her door and walked up to her nightstand placing her cup down, then lighting a candle. She watched Break look around the room and shut the door behind him; he looked like he was pondering on something that was suddenly bothering him...

Break looked at the bare walls of the girl's bedroom. It was only his second time in there, but the first time he was in a hurry so he couldn't really look around.

There were no pictures on the walls, no clock, nothing. He looked at her dresser noticing that the only thing that resided there was a mirror and the music box that he gave her. And the bed was plain, no dolls and no stuffed bears...there wasn't even a decorative pillow to make it look more inviting.

He supposed since she wasn't the typical "girly girl" who liked cute things like teddy bears and dolls that that explained why she didn't have any. But then again...even Miss Sharon who was twenty five had at least some cute things in her room; not to mention flower vases and other trinkets. Even Vincent still had teddy bears...though, he ripped them all with his twisted habits.

Not only that, but Alice had proved to him that she did have a very feminine side, if she didn't she wouldn't had liked the necklace and the music box.

" Alice...how much time do you spend in here?"

" I don't know..."She said sitting on the bed " It depends on the day."

" Do you get bored in here?" He asked softly.

" Not really...if I'm bored I just eat."

" I see. Is your room like this in the other mansion?"

" Like what?"

" Bare."

He watched Alice look around her room as if it was the first time she noticed how empty it was.

" It's the same." She said with an apathetic shrug, and a sip of her tea.

All that proved to Break was that it wasn't that Alice didn't want things...but that Oz just never bothered to get her any. And whether or not that was because he assumed Alice wouldn't want it...it didn't excuse the fact that the boy most likely didn't ask.

" You can sit down you know..." She said.

Break walked over to the bed and sat down, unable to suppress a yawn.

He took a sip of his tea and watched Alice get under her covers, he almost laughed when he heard the girl clear her throat as a "hint" to him.

He smiled and leaned over to place his cup on the nightstand, then blew out the candle. Break crawled on the bed and turned on his side to face her. He was more than pleased when the girl didn't hesitate to move closer to him, so close that he was able to rest his chin in her thick hair, and wrap his arms around her.

He felt her sigh contently, and her body relaxed as if she had been tense all day.

" Did you go to the lake today?" He asked.

She yawned "I would have... if Oz wasn't acting so weird." She said, nestling deeper into the man's chest.

" Weird…In what way?"

"… He's just been acting strange...like he isn't Oz sometimes."

Silence fell upon them, within minutes he could hear the girl snoring lightly. And he soon joined her.

**OOO**

The early morning birds chirped annoyingly outside the window, like they were screaming their sunrise songs instead of singing them pleasantly.

Break was not in the mood to move, he was comfortable with Alice curled up warmly in his arms. But he knew he needed to get back so he could do his servant duties. Not to mention get out of the Vessalius mansion before he was discovered.

He released the girl and turned to look at the window, the sun was only up enough to turn the sky a tint lighter than dark blue. So he sighed and tried to get up.

He was happy that her room was located on the first floor; he could easily slip out the window and be on his way. Break opened the window, shaking his head at how he was acting. Even in his "true" youth he wasn't sneaking around and climbing in and out of a girl's bedroom. But he supposed it wasn't too late to start.

The man got one leg out the window before he heard Alice call his name. He looked back at her and saw her sitting up in bed, clutching the bed sheets in her hands.

He crawled back in.

" …Pretty girls should concentrate on getting their beauty sleep."

"..."

Break knew something was wrong when she didn't even bother to fire back at his comment. This was problematic, because that was usually his method to leave everything on a lighthearted note.

So he walked over to the bed and sat down.

" You know you can call me whenever you need to."

" I know." She said barely above a whisper.

Break tilted the girls chin up, then he took a risk and kissed the side of her neck, listening to her gasp softly and begin to clutched at his white jacket as he left faint kissed up her neck and along her jaw… until he made his way to her cheek.

He swore to himself that he was going to stop there, and that he wouldn't get entangled in her luring aura and tantalizing skin.

He truly tried to stop himself...but then Alice brought her hand to his cheek and turned it so they were face to face. Her light breath hit his lips as she looked at him with hooded eyes.

" Are you going to kiss me the right way?" She asked softly.

" Is that a request or a demand?" He asked.

" It's just a question..." She said, brushing her feather soft lips against his.

Break could only relish in it for one instant before there was a harsh knock on the door.

They both looked at it, before reality sunk in hard.

"...How annoying." He sighed. "I guess that's my cue."

Even though her bow knitted in distress she nodded and let go of his jacket.

The knocking started again.

" Wait a minute! I'm trying to get dressed!" She yelled at the door, saying the first thing that came to mind.

She looked back at the window, and frowned when the man was already gone, but below the windowsill was Emily. She didn't know if Break dropped the doll, or if he left it there on purpose, but she was happy to have it with her.

When she was sure the knocking stopped, she got up and retrieved the doll, then placed it under her pillow before she went to open the door.

* * *

So the plot is unfolding :D. If you're confused by Oz's behavior that's a good thing, it's a huge part of the plot hint off to the "half hearted-ness" ( and if you figured out whats wrong with him...that's good too LOL).

Hope you liked the chapter. On to the next!

Thanks for reading

-Rage.


	6. Tasting Tea and Crumpets

*Waving * :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it's characters.

* * *

**XXX Tasting Tea and Crumpets XXX**

Before Alice left her room, she grabbed her towel. She stepped out into the hall, surprised to still see Oz standing there. She closed the door behind her.

" Why were you knocking?" She asked.

" I just thought we could get an early start today, so we have more time together." He said innocently.

" ...I wanna take a bath first." She said hesitantly, knowing her words contradicted what she said about getting dressed.

Oz nodded and then Alice walked further down the hall to the bathroom. Before she went in, she looked back at him, he looked at her and gave a small smile, she returned it with a empty one.

Oz heard her lock the bathroom door.

He stood there for a few seconds before he decided to go into her bedroom; frowning when he noticed that the window was open. As he looked around, he saw that there were two tea cups on her nightstand.

_I guess she did call him last night..._

Oz walked over to Alice's dresser. He picked up the little brown box that he saw there. He examined the outside before he opened it. His frown deepened when he discovered that it played music. As the melody played, his heart seemed to slow; since the temperature in his chest was dropping unimaginably low.

**-:::::::-**

Alice pulled the bath curtain back, and before she ran the water she remembered that she forgot to grab her wash cloth.

She unlocked the door and walked back to her room, not liking the fact that she found Oz standing in there.

" What are you doing?" She asked.

"...Who gave this to you?" Oz looked over at her briefly before he went back to examining the music box; it was still playing music, and the figurine still twirled gracefully.

" It was a present...from Break." She said, leaning some of her weight against the door frame.

"...Oh."

She started to walk over to him; she wanted to take the box back. But then, she watched Oz place the box on the edge of the dresser, and as he turned to look at her fully his arm _brushed _against it...

Her eyes widened when she watched the box slowly descend to the floor. The small mirror inside instantly broke into pieces, and the music slowed to a distorted low tune before it stopped all together.

She ran over and knelt down before it, picking up the box and watching the remainder of the mirror fall out in tiny shards. The only thing that was intact was the little figure, but since the music stopped...so did it. It didn't spin gracefully, and it had halted in the position that made the figures back face the viewer, instead of its pretty face.

Her eyes welled up with large tears as she held the box in her lap.

" Why did you do that, Oz!"

Oz bent down and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but she pushed him away.

" I'm sorry, Alice...It was an accident." He said the words with so much gentleness, but she could tell he worked hard to conjure up his fake sincerity.

" _I don't believe you..." _She sniffled, trying to stop the tears from flowing.

" Alice...do you really think I would do something like that... on purpose?" He asked sounding hurt and astonished that the girl would accuse him of something like that.

She looked up at him through watery eyes, one hand going to her mouth as she tried to nibble on her finger and slow her emotions. She searched his eyes for the truth; and came back without an answer.

" Look...I'll make you a new one. When we go in town today I'll buy all the equipment."

" ...Make it?" She looked back down at the box. She didn't know Oz knew how to make such things...he never did before.

" Um hum." He nodded and smiled. " And I promise it will be better than this one."

"...I'd rather have this one fixed." She said the words with complete honesty in her voice.

She noticed that the boy was quiet for a few seconds.

" Ok...then I'll fix it, and I'll make you one, how about that?"

She looked at him and nodded, then the boy wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back; speaking quietly in her ear.

" I'm sorry if I made you upset...I didn't mean to." Alice hated to admit it, but he actually sounded sincere that time.

" You should get dressed so we can leave soon." He said, running his fingers through her hair.

" Oz..."

" Hum?"

" I don't-"

" Oh, I forgot to tell you...we're having dinner at Sharon's house, she called and said she wanted us to go over there."

The boy let her go and started to collect the broken music box.

" ...Really?" She asked, knowing she wouldn't actually be going over there to see only Sharon.

" Yup, I guess you two have gotten really close, huh?"

The girl nodded and he smiled softly.

" What was it that you wanted to tell me?" He asked with a slight head tilt.

" Nothing...it's not important." Actually, she was going to tell him that she didn't want to go with him that day...and go see Break instead. But if they were already going over there later...

"Ok...I'll see you in a few minutes." He said, walking out the door with her music box.

She watched him leave and finished wiping the drying tears from her cheeks, looking at the remainder of the broken mirror that was sprayed on the floor.

**OOO**

Break and Sharon sat on the balcony enjoying tea, small hand sandwiches, and sweet crumpets. They looked over notes from Pandora that they received from Reim. It was typical day; however, Sharon noticed that Break was quieter than usual. So she tried to strike up a conversation.

" Only two more days before we have a crowed here." She said pleasantly.

" Yes, we'll have Nightrays, Barams, and Vessuliuses all in the same vicinity. I hope nothing aggressive transpires."

She giggled. " I'm sure whatever grudges they had between them aren't nearly as deep as they used to be."

" Hopefully. We'll certainly have enough to worry about attempting to get the truth out of Mr. Harpsfield."

" Well, I think it will go smoothly." She said with proper confidence.

" You may be right... after all, he is a _low rate_ noble." Break leaned in close and put his hand to his mouth so he could whisper to her. " I heard he gets most of his kicks at the local brothel...and not the high class one either." He laughed.

" Break! You're terrible." She laughed and kicked him lightly under the table, and when their laughter died down she noticed something.

" Where's Emily?" She asked with a bit of concern.

"...Resting." He said naturally, putting on his reading glasses and looking back at his notes. Then he sipped his tea.

" Break, may I ask you something?"

She heard him give a "um hum" so she knew he was listening, even though he was going through paper work.

" Have you finally found a love interest?"

He looked up at her, eyes peering over the rim of his glasses, " Have you been reading those cheap romance novels again?"

" Their not cheap!" She yelled, before resuming her calmness, " I'm only asking because I heard you leave last evening."

He sighed, " That doesn't mean I was confessing everlasting love under someone's window."

" True, but I still think you're hiding something from me. So, who is she?" She asked the last part with excitement and leaned closer into the table.

" Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with my love life?" He mumbled as he took a bite of his crumpet, dropping crumbs on his paper work.

" Because as far as we know... you never had one."

He rolled his eyes, " Do you really want to know?" He said, leaning his face in his palm.

"Yes!"

"...It's..."

" Yes..."

"..."

" Come out with it already!" She pushed.

" It's...a secret." He said with a wicked smirk.

" Break...You won't even tell your little sister..." She whined sweetly.

" I assure you, you'll know in due time. That is...if it becomes legitimate."

" At least tell me if I should start knitting booties...I always wanted to do that. Oh, and little bonnets too!" She squealed and clapped her hands together.

Break raised a brow, " How can you skip to thinking about children before you consider a wedding ceremony?"

" Come now Break" She laughed darkly, "You and I both know that large weddings aren't your style at all."

He chuckled, " You know me so well." He looked back down at the paper that had a small picture of Oz on it, and his profile.

" I have a question for you, Miss Sharon. Actually, it's more of a brain teaser..."

" Oh good, I love these." She said happily.

" What would you say happens when two intrinsically good things clash with conflicting interest?"

" Hum...well, if they're intrinsically good, then it's possible that they could create something bad, if there isn't some sort of compromise."

He hummed and when on "...But would you say that the original good remains unaffected. Or...do both things corrupt each other in the struggle for control, thus...removing the preexisting good?"

" I think...it's like mixing sugar and pepper."

" Go on.."

" Sugar is good, and pepper is also good, but when they mix it creates a ghastly combination. Personally, I don't think they "corrupt" each other; it's just that what they create together is bad. So I guess my answer is...they remain good, only if they don't stay in a permanent conflict."

" What a vivid analogy." He smirked.

" Is something bothering you? You only ask me these things when something's brewing..."

" Nothings amiss just yet, but if something does come up...I'll let you know." He said, looking back at the picture of Oz and leaning back in his chair.

**XXX**

When Alice and Oz reached the city, Oz quickly brought them breakfast and he rushed her to eat her food so they could start going to the stores. They first went into a clothing store that sold clothes for all ages, among other things.

It was then that Alice knew that anything she stared at for more than thirty seconds Oz was ready to buy for her...even undergarments.

In another store that sold odds and ends, she had picked up a wooden puppet just to see how it worked, but she ended up having to talk the boy out of buying it for her since he thought that she wanted it. He even ended up buying her new peach curtains for her bedroom, with a matching floral bed spread, not forgetting three expensive dolls, a gift basket with exotic soaps, and a comb and brush made out of shiny sterling silver, and perfume that came in a crystal bottle and had a large spray pump on the side.

The list went on. He brought her a variety of dresses that came in all different colors and styles, candy, decorative oil lamps for her room to replace the candles that she used. Hair clips and pins, rings, bracelets, and he even tried to convince her to get her ears pierced so he could buy her earnings; but she refused.

They ended up calling the chauffeur so he could take all the stuff back to the carriage.

She couldn't say that all the stuff wasn't pretty, and that she wasn't grateful because she was...however, she never asked for any of it.

By four o'clock that afternoon, they were in the music store, and she sat and watched Oz play the piano, repetitively asking him where and when he learned to play so beautifully, but he could never give her a clear answer. All he would say was, " It just comes naturally...that's all."

It was odd, because she never saw him play the piano before…even when he had plenty of opportunities to do so.

**XXX**

Gilbert sighed as he looked out his brother's bedroom window. He had just got back from trying to call Oz for the second time that day. The first time he got Mrs. Kate who abruptly hung up when she knew it was him. The second time he got Martha, and she told him that Oz had left early that morning...with Alice.

But he did get a hold of the doctor, and someone finally brought medicine to him to give to Vincent.

The other bit of good news was that Vincent didn't seem to be getting any worst. His skin wasn't pale anymore, and his coughing was becoming minimal; although, every time Gilbert would mention Vincent improved state the coughing "magically" came back.

As for the bad news, well...Gilbert just missed Oz terribly. He didn't get any sleep that previous night. He paced up and down the hallways worrying about how the boy was feeling, if he passed out again, wondering why the boy was so emotional when he last laid his eyes on him; and not being able to hear Oz's voice only made it worst.

At that moment though, he sat in Vincent's room next to the window. He was on the verge of reading the book he found in his suitcase; he knew Oz must have placed it in there at some point. So Gilbert shifted his eyes onto his sleeping brother, then he opened the black book that had no title.

When he flipped to a page that had a book mark, his heart seemed to stop, and his pupils constricted as he looked over the picture of four men...well, one of them had his...and the other was bending, and one was leaning forward, while the last one licked his...

_Is that a stick?_

Gilbert tuned red and shut the book quickly. That was _not_ reading material that he needed to be reading at the time. And why exactly did Oz want him to see that-

And then it dawned on him.

Gilbert's heart started up again accelerating at a progressively fast pace, and his blush seemed to permanently tan his skin when he realized that Oz wanted...he wanted...

_Oh god..._

Gilbert cleared his throat and tried to shake the thoughts away, but they crept back and teased him with sexual tempting image; like what it would be like to place that piece of himself inside such a heavenly body, his master's body..._Oz's body_. He figured that Oz was probably, really warm…and...deep, and...

Gilbert closed his eyes, took a deep breath and shook his head. Maybe he misunderstood the image; maybe that man was using a stick for some kind of ancient ritual or something weird like that. Gilbert dared himself to look one more time...just so he wasn't jumping to conclusions.

Gilbert flipped through the pages again, seeing more images of unclothed men tangled up with each other. And there was no mistaken it, the young men in the pictures were definitely using their own-

"What are you reading?" Vincent asked, wide awake and smirking knowingly.

Gilbert shut the book, " It's...just a book. It's nothing."

" Can I see it?"

" I thought you weren't feeling well?" Gilbert challenged.

" That doesn't mean I can't read." The man chuckled and ended up coughing.

" Well, I think you should rest." Gilbert said hostility, getting up to leave the room.

" I just wanna take a quick peek. I promise I won't tell anyone what's in it" Vincent giggled.

Gilbert huffed and flipped quickly through the book, finding a page that only had words on it, and then he held it up at a distance and showed it quickly.

"See..." He closed the book.

" Can I hold it?"

" No. Go back to sleep." The raven demanded.

" There's naked people in it?"

" What-No!" Gilbert blushed again.

Vincent sat up in bed, " If there is, I'm not surprised. I already know you're in love with your master...It's been obvious since the day we reunited."

" I don't feel comfortable talking about this with you." Gilbert said firmly.

" But that's what brothers do, they share secrets. So tell me...are you planning on doing _that_ to him." The man said as he nodded toward the book.

" Vincent!" Gilbert was beyond embarrassed hearing his brother ask about..._that_.

" I'm just asking." He said innocently.

"..." The raven remained quiet and tried to leave the room again, he definitely needed a cigarette.

" Gilbert...do you remember your eighteenth birthday?" Vincent asked before his brother left the room.

" What about it?" Gilbert looked back.

" There was a woman there that I introduced you to. I watched you get drunk and she dragged you to the lounge in the back of the tavern...what happened?"

"...Nothing happened. She tried to kiss me, but I pushed her off me before she could. Why are you asking me that?"

" Really? I was always under the impression that she succeed in…you know, taken _it_...that's why I sent her to you."

" You _what?_" The raven said in disbelief.

" Calm down" Vincent waved his hand weakly, "I thought it would loosen you up a bit. You were depressed for so many years. But I guess you really held out for him..."

" Why would you... I can't believe you." Gilbert said in disappointment.

" Oh, I'm sorry big brother" Vincent said with childlike innocents "I'll make it up to you. I'll give you all the advice you need before that blond boy finishes seducing you."

" I-He- We are _not_ talking about this." Gilbert left the room and slammed the door behind him.

" I was only trying to help!" Vincent called out weakly, shrugging his shoulders when the man didn't respond.

**XXX**

Alice was so excited. Her day with Oz wasn't terrible, but, what she was really looking forward to was going to see Break. She thought she might even get Sharon to ask her to spend another night there so she wouldn't have to go back with Oz.

The girl was practically glued to the carriage window, she knew the turn was coming up that would lead them to the road that led to the Rainsworth mansion. As they got closer to it, her mouth went dry when she didn't feel the carriage beginning to turn, and when they missed the turn completely, she turned to Oz with worry in her eyes.

" Oz...I thought we were going to Sharon's house." She tried not to come across too disappointed, but she was failing.

" I told the driver to take us to the lake instead...Sharon will understand. We'll see her in two days anyway." When he spoke he kept his eyes out the window, he sounded uncaring and distant, as if the new development wasn't anything worth wasting breath about.

" You didn't even asked me if I wanted to go there!" Alice said, completely upset that the whole day was a waste, not to mention a slap in the face.

He finally turned to her, looking confused. " I asked you yesterday, remember? You said 'maybe later' because you were tired...well, now is later."

The girl just shook her head in disbelief, sitting back harshly in her seat and folding her arms; the boy was just impossible.

**-::::::::-**

They arrived at the lake just before sunset, and Oz got one of the small wooden boats and practically begged Alice to get in it since the girl was insistent on staying in the carriage. He got her to comply and they sat in the boat together. Oz paddled them to the middle of the lake, then they stopped there.

It was serene. The sun glistened on the water leaving gold specks in random places and long rippled streaks in others. Oz finally turned to the girl and smiled when she looked back at him.

" You look beautiful sitting there like that." Oz complemented sweetly.

"..." Alice turned her eyes away and adjusted her position in the boat, not realizing that the movement caused Emily to fall out of her jacket.

When she saw Oz lean down she realized what he was grabbing, but before she could take it back he already had it in his hand.

" Why do you have Emily?" He asked with hurt in his voice.

Alice was quick and snatched it out of his hand before he could _accidentally _destroy it. And she didn't feel obligated to explain why she had it; it was none of his business. Alice looked down at the doll in her hand and stroked its weird shaped hair. Then she heard Oz sigh.

" I don't really know what's been going on between you two. But...I'm really worried."

She looked up, "...Why?"

" We've known Break for a while now, but that doesn't mean he's really different from the first time we met him. He uses people, Alice. Don't you remember when he used you as bait?"

" That was a long time ago, Oz..." She said softly, hand going over the side of the boat so she could dip her fingers in the water.

" So! What about the way he was hitting you that time...how do you know he won't-"

She looked back at him" That was the first time we met...he was angry about what I did to Sharon."

" That doesn't make it any better...he should have never hit you, you're a girl."

" He wasn't looking at me as a girl...he only saw that I was a chain, and that I was dangerous...I can't hold that against him." She sighed.

" Well you should." Oz said sharply. When he felt himself getting increasingly angry he took a deep breath. " I just don't want to see you get hurt again. What if he hands you over to Pandora...and they lock you up or something..."

Her eyes widened with fear, " Do you think he'd do that?" She asked.

Oz nodded, "I don't trust him, Alice, and I don't think you should either."

Alice looked down at the doll on her lap. She wasn't sure what to think, but something told her that Oz was wrong. When she looked back at him he was moving closer to her. She put Emily in her pocket and before she knew it, the boy was wrapping his arms around her.

" Alice...is it Ok if we stay like this for a while."

When he said the words she felt his fingers stroke her hair, then brush across the chain on her neck. He pulled back and lifted the chain from out of her shirt.

"...Did he get this for you too?"

" Why do you care, Oz?" She said, trying to take the pearl from around his fingers, but the chain was getting tangled. She knew all he'd have to do was give one harsh tug and the chain would snap. When she thought that that was exactly his plan, she noticed that his eyes had fallen on the shore.

When she looked too, she saw a skinny gray dog running across the sand. She looked back at Oz and the boys eyes had gotten glossy, his fingers left her chain.

She watched the boy back away from her like she was poison, then his breathing got heavy and he shoved his face into his hands.

" Gil...Where's Gil?" He said, looking back at her for the answer. She saw two tears slide down his cheeks.

" What? Are you stupid or something?...He's with Vincent."

"...Vincent?" The boy said as if he didn't know who the man was.

" Why is he there?...Why isn't he with me...?" The boy mumbled to himself, hands going to the sides of his head as he drew his knees into his chest.

Alice huffed with aggravation, then she moved to sit in the middle of the boat. She grabbed the ores and started rowing them back to the shore. She was beyond annoyed with Oz, and to make it worst she had to sit and listen to him have a nervous breakdown in the back of the boat.

She would glimpse back and see him chewing on his nails, saying things like " Why are we even out here?...How long has he been missing?"

And before they hit the shore, the boy had buried his face in his knees, rocking slightly as he whispered the man's name…over, and over...and over.

**-:::::::::-**

When they returned to the mansion, Alice noticed that Oz still hadn't snapped back yet. Actually, he was just mentally detached and withdrawn. Like the dead, she watched him get out the carriage, eyes wide and empty. He slowly walked into the house and went into his room.

He didn't even come out to eat dinner, although, she did hear his door open up around ten o'clock that night. But the boy didn't come into her room, she heard him walk down the hall and disappear somewhere. Twenty minutes went by before she heard him go back into his room and then silence consumed the house again.

**XXX**

It was eleven forty five and Gilbert couldn't stand it any longer. He put on his jacket and placed his hat on his head. He walked over to the phone to try Oz one more time. But just like what happen ten minutes before, he didn't hear the phone ring when he tried to call.

One explanation was that someone was already on the line, like Mrs. Kate, or Oscar...maybe even Martha. Regardless, he decided to leave the mansion and make the hour and a half walk to go check on Oz.

Gilbert had made sure his brother had been to the toilet, eaten some vegetable soup that Gilbert made for him, taken his medicine, and was sleeping soundly in bed. However, when Gilbert walked down the stairs he heard a loud thump hit the floor.

He rushed upstairs and opened Vincent's door, finding the man heaving up his soup. Gilbert went over to the man and rubbed his back as he got out the last of his food.

Vincent gagged and coughed a few times before he weakly tried to sit back against the bed frame. Gilbert sighed and let the man rest there while he went into the bathroom to get the cleaning solution and some towels to clean up the floor.

"Brother...were you going somewhere?" Vincent asked from the floor.

"I was going out for a quick walk. This house is making me restless..."

" Were you planning on coming back?"

" I wouldn't just leave you here and not come back." Gilbert said from the bathroom, followed by a series of swears as Vincent heard him drop things.

"It's just that I know you been (cough) thinking about your master all day. I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to go see him."

" Well, it doesn't look like I'll be going _anywhere_ with you throwing up all over the place." He said bitterly.

"...Sorry." Vincent said sadly.

Gilbert came from the bathroom, putting rubber gloves on before he got on the floor.

The man placed the towels down and began to clean up the watery mess that his brother made. Vincent watched him the whole time, and when Gilbert was done with that he used the other towels to disinfect the area with the cleaning fluid.

After the floor was clean, the raven gathered the towels and threw them away. He removed the gloves and looked at Vincent to make sure his night clothes weren't soiled; they weren't, so he walked over to the man and placed his hand on his forehead.

Vincent was burning up...

Gilbert helped the man to his feet and let him get back in bed. He brought the covers over him and got a bucket to place on the side of the bed. Along with a cold face cloth that he put on the man's forehead.

" I don't mind if you go see him..." Vincent said, smiling softly.

"...I'll go when your fever goes down." Gilbert sighed and sat next to the window. He knew that if Vincent was getting a fever that he would need to be under close watch. So he forced faith into his heart and decided to go see Oz in the morning...regardless of Vincent's condition.

**OOO**

Alice was prepared that night. She packed a small bag of clothes and made sure her necklace was secure around her neck before she tucked it in her blouse. She packed Emily away, and when she was sure Oz had gone to sleep, she left her room and headed to the phone. She lit the candle on the table and picked up the receiver; putting it to her ear.

There was no sound.

Alice taped her finger on the button on the top of the phone, but nothing happened. She tried spinning the dial, hanging up and trying again, but there was just no sound. She bit her lip and looked at the phone. And as she examined each part of it, she realized that the cord was cut.

"Who would...do that...?" She said quietly to herself.

As her mind began to race, she heard a door close somewhere down the hall. She froze. Alice took a deep breath and blew out the candle, letting darkness take over the room again as she listened to footsteps walk down the hall, and the another door was opened.

She knew it was her bedroom door that the person went in, but they didn't stay long. Alice secured her bag in her hand and started walking through the dinning room and heading to the kitchen. She didn't want Oz to see her, and she also didn't want to stay there that night. She was going to make the walk.

When she entered the kitchen she could only see a little bit. She tried to feel her way around. However, she didn't anticipate bumping into the metal trash barrel. The barrel fell over with a large crash and she knew that the noise would alert whoever was walking around, but when she looked down she noticed something in the pile of garbage.

She bent down and picked up a familiar piece of wood. Her blood went hot when she started picking up the other piece of her little music box. Not only did the boy throw it away, but he also broke it in more places; since the top was ripped off of the hinges.

Alice didn't have enough time to feel her anger. She quickly grabbed the pieces and put them in her bag. But as she stood up she saw him standing there.

" Alice-"

" _Shut-up_. I have nothing to say to you." She said lowly.

" Let me explain." He pleaded.

Alice turned her back and began to head for the side door, but Oz ran in front of her and blocked it.

"Move! I'm not staying here tonight."

" Alice, if you would just sit down, we could talk about this."

" _Move_."

When the boy refused to budge Alice walked up to the door and tried to open it, but he wrapped his arms around her and tried to embrace her body.

" Let go of me, Oz!"

" Alice please...Just listen to me for one second."

" No I-mmmmuuurrrrr"

She felt Oz quickly cover her mouth with his hand, and back her up into the wall. But even though he did that she could tell he was trying hard not to be rough. His lips went next to her ear, and she stopped struggling briefly as he spoke.

" I would never hurt you...I care about you, Alice. But something isn't right...I think if you just (swallow) give me twenty minutes with you...I could change your mind about me…and I could make you feel better." When he spoke he sounded out of breath and his hand slowly slid away from her mouth.

"...Twenty minutes...to do what?" She asked in a whisper.

"..."

"...What about Gilbert..." She had a feeling mentioning the man's name would snap Oz out of whatever he was in.

Her words hung lose in the air, seeming to float on it before Oz absorbed them. He took a step away from her, and his hands went straight to the sides of his head as though he was in agony. She actually felt bad for him.

"...Gil...Where's Gil...?" He's voice was so shaky and sad; Alice would swear he was on the verge of tears.

" Oz-"

" Hurry up and leave...get out." He whispered.

The girl looked at him knowing she couldn't do anything to help him. And she also knew that the Oz she knew was speaking to her, not out of spite, but, so he could protect her. So she slowly walked to the side door and left.

Alice swallowed down the building emotions in her throat and started walking quickly away from the house; she shook her head in confusion, because she didn't understand what was wrong with the boy or why he would start doing horrible things to her.

She even tried to search her mind for when exactly it started...did it happen all at once? Or was it progressive? She had no idea anymore.

**XXX**

Oz locked the kitchen door and as the cold feeling in his chest began to come back, he ran to the dinning room and picked up the phone. He needed to call Gilbert; he needed the man to come to his side, to balance him out again…before he started to tip over.

When Oz picked up the phone and heard no sound, he panicked. Oz rushed to make sure it was plugged in, but he noticed that the cord was cut.

_Did I do this...?_

The lightheaded feeling was coming back quickly. So Oz tried to hold himself together long enough to go to his room and lock himself in. He walked unevenly down the hall, feeling his eyes beginning to flutter. Before he reached his room, he decided to go straight for Gilbert's door instead. Knowing that if he stayed in the man's room then he might be able to recover himself and stay in his normal consciousness.

Oz ran to the man's door and opened it. Then he shut the door and locked it, knowing deep down that that wouldn't help unless it was locked on the other side. Oz felt his body calming slowly. He looked around the dark room, it was warm in there, and that warmth seemed to defrost his aching chest.

He walked over to the bed and laid face down on it. He instantly smelled the soft scent of sandalwood, and his body shook as it invaded his senses. He let it take over him, while he wrapped himself in Gilbert's covers. His eyes were wet with tears and for the first time he could feel his heart beating.

It thumbed against his ribs softly, it felt good, it didn't ache anymore; like when Alice was around.

Oz felt safe in the room, he also was sure of himself in there...sure that his name was Oz Vessalius, and that he loved one person...and only one.

**XXX**

For once, Break let his lonely thoughts bother his mind. Usually he'd push them away and start working on his reports, but...this time it was different. He was disappointed that Alice hadn't called him yet, and it was going on one in the morning.

Of course he thought over all the possibilities. Like the fact that what they were sharing wasn't truly "official" and he also knew that Alice may have not been over Oz completely; so, if she was given a day with him her feelings could naturally rush back as if she never tried to rid herself of them in the first place. Thus, she would have no reason to call if Oz won her over.

There was also the possibility that she wasn't "distressed" so she could have been sound asleep in her bed and not thinking twice about Break...

But there was another possibility that was bothering him the most. With the way he saw Oz acting that previous day, and the way "someone" was knocking at her door that morning, not forgetting how Alice had told him that Oz was "weird" and not like himself. He began to wonder if the boy might have reached another level of his "weirdness", and was somehow preventing Alice from calling him.

Break got out of his chair and blew out his candle. He figured the least he could do was check. It would take less than fifteen minutes if he took one of the horses; instead of the whole carriage. All he had to do was look in the girl's window and make sure she was safe. If she was safe he could come home and assume their night together was a lovely but brief thing, and as much as he hated it (and he really hated it) he would let Oz have her...if that's what they both desired.

Break put on his jacket, grabbed his sword, and headed out the mansion. He went into the back stable and got on one of the horses, and set off.

**-:::::::-**

As he traveled through the night, he made the usually turn onto the main road, but that's when he saw a carriage that was stopped up ahead. He pulled the reigns on the horse and slowed down. They didn't notice him, but right away, he could hear what was going on.

" If you're looking for a fight, then you just got lucky." Alice said, putting her bag down and beginning to roll up her sleeves.

" HA HA you're gonna try to fight _us_? How cute, I love it HA HA HA" The ugly man said as he put down his lantern.

" What do you mean "try" I _will _fight you…and win." The girl said in a serious tone.

" Did you hear that Sal? This sweet thing said she gonna fight us HA HA."

" HA HA I heard, I heard." The other man said as he leaned against their carriage cracking up laughing.

" Aww...We don't wanna fight you sweetie." The first man said with a lopsided smile.

" Because you idiots realized you'll lose?"

" No...Because we're actually looking for something else." The man said, looking Alice up and down hungrily.

" Oh, so you're beggars _and _you're stupid. I don't have any spear change. So go find a charity..." Alice grabbed her bag and tried to walk away, but the man got in her way.

" That's Ok...we don't need that either..."

Before the man got too close, he watched Alice look past him with wide eyes.

" Something scare you honey?" The man smirked. And then...

THWACK! " How-" THWACK!" Utterly-" THWACK! " Disgraceful."

The man spun around seeing blood rushing from the head of his companion who was lying face down in the dirt. Then he looked up to see a white haired man approaching him with his sword drawn. The man stepped back.

" Wait, don't come any closer." He pleaded. The man tried to turn and run, but his hasty movements only caused him to trip and land on the ground. He turned his body over and looked up with fear in his eyes; because Break already had his sword pointed directly at the man's Adams apple.

" You know, in some countries the crime you were about to commit equates an automatic beheading." Break said threateningly.

" I..I didn't even touch her." The man whined.

" No...but you were going to."

" Please I'm sorry...I-"

THWACK...THWACK...THWACK...

Break was tired of hearing the man's voice, so he turned his sword to the blunt side and hit him in the temple a few times. His goal wasn't to kill them, but...if they died from blood loss, or because wild animals ate their twitching bodies...he wouldn't have regretted it one bit.

" Come on Alice." Break said lowly as he sheathed his sword and started walking away from the scene.

Alice took one look at the two men who were bleeding profusely, then followed behind Break. She knew the man was upset; about what? Well, she had a few good guesses. So she kept quiet as he helped her get onto the horse; and they road back to the Rainsworth mansion in silence.

**-::::::::-**

When they got to the house, Alice followed behind him, and he led her to a room. She had never been in the bedroom before, but judging by the look of it, she had a feeling it was his room. It was the largest bedroom she had seen so far, it had a large bed that had poles and curtains that could close in the sleeping person. He had a big plum colored rug in the middle of the floor that matched the lavish deep purple pillows on the bed that went along with the beige color curtains and bedspread nicely.

" Nice place..." She said, placing her bag against the wall and kicking off her boots before flopping down on the bed.

The man said nothing in response. He leaned against his desk and just looked at her as though he was waiting for something. He looked irritated and on edge, one brow raise and a hard look in his crimson eye.

Alice assumed that he was waiting for a "thank you"...which she was planning to say anyway, but with the way he was looking at her it came out awkward.

" Um...thanks for…back there." She said without looking at him.

"...Do you even have the slightest clue about what could have happened tonight...?" He said with calm low anger; and not an ounce of sarcasm or humor was in his voice, or his eyes.

She sighed "…I know...but I was prepared to fight if something happened, I would have been alright." She said with renewed surety.

" Is that so?... You really think you could have fought off two men without changing into B-Rabbit?"

" Well...yeah, I still know how to fight in this form...just because I'm smaller doesn't mean I'll lose."

" Ok, let's test it then." He said, getting up from his desk. He walked over to the bed and grabbed the pillows and put them in the middle of the floor.

" What are you doing?" She asked, thinking the man had lost the only string of sanity he had left.

" I'm challenging you to a fight...though, I'm not actually going to hurt you, but I do want you to try to hurt me."

" Are you...serious?" She said with confusion.

" Yes, last night you claimed that you were stronger than a " Skinny clown" so...if you can disarm me then I'll trust that you can win against two men...like you said."

Alice looked at the cushioned floor that he made, then walked over and stood in front of him. She swallowed hard because she had seen him fight several times before, and well...he was good. But she still took off her red jacket and got into her fighting stance; placing one foot in front of the other and then raising her arms so she could block her face if need be.

" Aren't you gonna come after me?" She asked.

" Ladies first." He said.

She hesitated, " It would be an insult if you don't try...how will I know if I can really beat you?"

" Look at it this way, if you can't win against me when I'm only half trying, then that means you couldn't stand a chance at full strength."

She glared hard at him, then took a deep breath before she launched her first attack. First she threw a punch and stopped short just before she hit his cheek, taking her arm back and deciding to send a side kick to his chest instead…but he caught her leg in mid air; and he wasn't letting go.

She hopped around on one foot for a while trying to break herself free, but when he wouldn't let go she tried to bend her knee and bring him closer so she could at least hit him and throw off his focus. Well, nothing went the way she planed.

For one, she still couldn't reach him, and two, right when she tried to hit him he used his foot to side swipe her last leg; and down she went...falling onto the soft pillows with a muffled thump.

She struggled to get up but he quickly knelled down and grabbed her arms, pinning them above her head.

She squirmed, " That's not fair! We're supposed to be fighting, not-"

" Of course it's not fair...my real goal was to demonstrate a situation where you couldn't fight at all...because that was _their_ goal. Do you really think that they would have wasted time trying to give you a fair fight?"

"...Ok..I get it." She sighed and squirmed a bit, but when he wouldn't let go she looked back at him and he looked angry.

" Why didn't you call me?" He said, finally letting her go.

She sat up, " Damn it clown! I tried, but Oz ..." After a few seconds Alice closed her mouth and looked away.

Break's eyes filled with concern, he had forgotten all about his original reason to even check on Alice...and that was it.

" Oz...what?" He asked hesitantly.

" Nothing..."

Break turned the girl's cheek gently so that she was looking back at him, he saw that she swallowed deeply and he looked into her eyes with complete seriousness.

" What did Oz do, Alice?" He said sternly.

"...I don't remember." She lied. She remembered everything, the way he _accidentally_ broke her music box, how he was acting at the lake, every word he said...and how he tried to get her to "give him twenty minutes" For what? Alice still wasn't sure but, she knew that it wasn't something she wanted to do.

The only reason she didn't tell Break was because she was afraid he would believe her. Who would believe it? Everything that had happened was so farfetched for Oz to do.

" So you're telling me that you lost your memory?" He asked with disappointed sarcasm.

Alice remained quiet and looked away. He let her face go and sat back with a sigh, then rubbed his forehead in frustration.

" How bad do you want me to believe that?" He said softly.

She hated hearing the sadness in his voice, but her response came out abrupt.

" What do you want me to say Break!...He's just going crazy or something, I can't explain it!" She yelled out the words and stood up.

" I just want you to tell me what happened..."

She huffed out an aggressive " Fine", then stormed over to the corner where her bag was. She grabbed her travel bag and angrily shook the contents onto the bed; then threw the bag on the floor.

She watched him get up, his eyes widened when he saw the broken music box amongst all her other stuff, he picked up one of the pieces, and Alice began her explanation.

"He broke it... then he lied about bring me here and brought me to the lake instead." She walked over to the window and leaned her shoulder up against it, crossing her arms and looking out into the dark garden, "And even though I didn't see him...I know he cut the stupid phone cord so I couldn't call you..."

She looked back at him with an icy stare, " And I don't give a damn if you don't believe me..." Break walked over to her, he took hold of her shoulders and gently turned her so she was looking at him.

" Why would you think that?"

She shrugged and looked away, arms still crossed and eyes still cold.

" Something else happened...didn't it?"

He knew he struck a nerve in her, because she looked back at him and he watched her eye's start to water up. Break felt his heart sink at the sight, and he quickly leaned down and allowed the pads of his thumbs to rest lightly on her cheeks, ready to wipe away whatever tears that were about to fall.

Break took a deep breath before he asked her the most important question, one that he was afraid to know the answer to," Did he-?"

" No." She sniffled " He didn't hurt me or anything...he just..."

Even though she didn't continue, Break didn't force the issue. He was upset to even know that he was correct...the boy was surly losing himself and stepping over boundaries. And even though Alice was fighting back her tears, he could tell that she was at a lost and shaken up over whatever happened.

" Well..." He sighed, straightening out his back, "It's seems that I need to pay Oz a visit in the morning."

" Don't.." She said with fear in her voice, " I don't want you to go over there."

" I have to...it's the only way we'll get to the bottom of this. Besides, he's gotten away with enough already."

She just kept shaking her head no, and he looked back at her with concern.

" You don't have to come with me Alice, you can stay here with Miss-"

" That's not it...I just don't want you to go over there. I want you to stay with me tomorrow."

" Alice..." He said softly, attempting to get the girl to understand that it was best for him to go.

But the girl reached her hands up to his face and stood on her toes, letting out a shaky breath before whispering against his lips."…Please" she said, as a tear finally fell and her lips connected with his smooth ones.

Break could barely kiss her back before she pulled away. Her eyes seemed to say the word again and all he could do was nod…and give in. Then he leaned down and connected their lips. Truly, he had been waiting to kiss her all day, and he was glad he felt her gasp into the kiss when he finally wrapped his arms around her back. She leaned into him and let her arms go around his neck, finally taking the risk to part her lips a little as an invitation to him.

He took it the invitation graciously, swallowing a little before he slowly eased his tongue into her mouth. Hearing her let out a light moan made him willingly surrender to all of his yearning senses, savoring ever soft movement of her warm tongue and wanting to hear more of her sighs and moans even if it deafened him eventually. When she pulled away, he wanted to grind his teeth in longing because that wasn't nearly enough time to memorize the crevices of her mouth and appreciate her sweet cinnamon like taste.

She left him standing there, and when he turned to see where she was going, he saw her get on his bed, lips slightly bruised and parted as she moved her stuff out of the way and beckoned him with her pretty eyes her inviting body language. She was leaning back a little and letting her arms support her weight...

She was waiting for him.

He felt like he was locked under a deep spell, he walked up to her then put his knees on the bed, hovering over her as he visually ate up her beauty. He went for her neck first, kissing up the area furiously and causing her to whimper and lay all the way back. When her hands slid up his back, he knew right away that he was giving in way to much to his desire.

He kissed her lips again feeling himself back her further up the bed. The words "slow down" rang in his mind because he knew that she had been through quite the ordeal that day, not forgetting that there was a whole section of the story he knew she was leaving out when it came to Oz.

He also knew that the last time he had a woman in his arms was eons ago, so he had to restrain himself from going beyond that level.

Oh...but the way her thick warm thighs were beginning to rise up and hug his sides, and the way her soft tongue moved ever so gently to the point that he could taste the core of her sweet innocents…he knew he was getting to a dangerous " all or nothing" state of mind...and he knew he needed to choose "nothing" before he went to far.

But it was so hard...because their kiss sped up and became more heated, along with Alice's whines and whimpers becoming increasingly audible and permanently embedding the sound in his mind. Break's hands were clawing at his comforter, he begged himself not to touch her with his hands...out of fear that they would end up in a variety of places that they shouldn't. And when one of his hands broke the rules sliding up her side and dying to start unbuttoning her shirt...he stopped kissing her.

He sat back and cleared his throat, trying not to alarm her by his abrupt behavior.

He let out a shaky sigh and lied down next to her, hoping they could just settle for holding hands and cuddling.

" Did I do something wrong?" She asked breathlessly.

" No…I just need to rest for a bit…I'm not as young and vibrant as I used to be..." He joked pathetically, surprising himself that he couldn't come up with a better excuse.

Alice didn't say anything, and instead rolled over and got on top of the man.

Break almost bit the side of his tongue off. Not only was Alice giving him the best view that any man could ask for; with her extra long hair cascading over her shoulders and her short skirt hiked up so far that he could see the lacy texture of her black panties peeking out from her parted thighs.

But the heat from her hot core was bearing down heavy on him…and on the semi hardness in his pants. He swallowed hard and to his dismay she shifted a little causing the addicting friction to make him squeeze his eyes shut and his hands begin to slide up her legs…

_Damn it, Alice..._

_

* * *

_

Yeah!...a cliff hanger. There's a surprise in the next chapter *cough_lemon_cough* but who's surprise will it be? hummm... Do you know? ;)

And a Big thank you to everyone for your lovely reviews, and hits, I was so glad to see everyone guessing and speculating about Oz's condition LOL...very nice.

Ok...next chapter might take a bit longer since it has detailed scenes.

Hope you liked the chapter..:)

Thanks

-Rage.


	7. Hot

Hi :)

**WARNING: Lemon, BOYXBOY. And other suggestive situations.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it characters.

* * *

**XXX HOT XXX**

Alice had never felt hot anticipation eat at her the way it was at that moment. When the white haired man gripped the top of her panties she naturally raised her hips so she could help him slip them off of her. She closed her eyes when she felt his warm hands slip the lacy fabric down her thighs, and when they were pulled down to her knees Alice stood up on the bed; causing Break's waist to get trapped between her ankles.

She sucked in air between her teeth when he sat up and ran his hand up her calf, then started kissing and licking the side of her knee. He brought the material down to her feet and she stepped out of them. Her body was heating up, so she unbuttoned her shirt and let it fall on the bed; leaving her standing in her black bra and skirt.

Awe stricken, Break stared up at her then he went back to kissing her legs. But this time, he progressed up her leg and sat up on his knees, pushing her skirt up passed her bellybutton so he could get a full view of her lower body.

Alice wasn't expecting to blush when she saw him staring at her dark brown pubic hair that wasn't even a shade darker than the hair on her head. She gave out a sharp gasp when he took hold of her left leg and lifted it up, making her bend her knee and tilt her body to the side for balance. She felt like one of those pink birds that stood on one foot all day, except the delicate area between her legs was now visible and exposed.

An onlooker would swear he was given the opportunity to peek into paradise with the way he was admiring her. The girl's muscles went weak when she saw him beginning to suck his first two fingers. She had a feeling about what he was planning to do with them, and if she was correct she wanted to be lying down so he could do it.

_**Knock, Knock.**_

" Break...are you asleep yet? May I come in?" A pleasant voice said on the other side of the door.

With his fingers frozen in his mouth, Break turned to look at the door.

" Just a minute, Miss Sharon." He said calmly.

Alice quickly pulled her skirt down and stepped off the bed. She grabbed her shirt and put it on, struggling to get the buttons to work with her. Break knew she wouldn't have enough time to do everything, so he gathered all her stuff and placed it in her travel bag...including her underwear that he just took off; although, he did leave Emily out.

He watched Alice put her jacket on, then she fix her hair before she sat on the chair near the window. She nodded to let him know it was Ok to open the door.

Break looked down at himself, fixed his clothes, patted his hair down, and then he opened the door.

" Break, I'm sorry to bother you so late but-" When the girl saw a movement behind him she looked passed him and squealed happily, "ALICE! You remembered!" The girl pushed passed Break and ran up to the girl, practically ripping her out of the seat.

" Ah…remembered what?" Alice said completely baffled.

" We're supposed to go shopping for a ball gown tomorrow! And now that you're already here Break won't have to pick you up so we can go. We can leave even earlier! Come on, I'll show you some of mine so you'll have an idea of what style you like." The girl pulled Alice by the arm and ran happily with her to the door.

" Wait...my bag." Alice said trying to hang onto the door frame, but she lost her grip when Sharon said a quick " You can get it later" and finished pulling her out the door.

Break watched Alice get dragged down the hall and sighed deeply. Like a hawk, Miss Sharon had come in and stolen what would have been a delicious feast for him. It was probably for the best, there was no telling if there would have been anything left of Alice once he was finished with her.

And he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh at the thought of her walking around without underwear.

**XXX**

Oz woke up to the sound of his uncle knocking on Gilbert's door. He rolled over on the bed and tried to clear his sticky throat before answering.

" Yeah...?" He said tiredly.

Oscar walked in, and through semi blurry eyes Oz could see his uncle's expression changing from concern to a type of " Oh, isn't that cute" type of look.

" You must really miss him if you're sleeping in here alone..." He said thoughtfully.

Oz didn't even smile at the man to acknowledge his comment; he just looked at him with bags under his eyes and a blank expression.

" Are you feeling alright? You don't usually sleep this late, and Mrs. Kate told me you didn't eat last night."

" I'm fine." He rolled over on his back and threw his arm over his weary eyes, "She shouldn't be clocking my whereabouts anyway..."

" She only told me because she was worried...you know that's what she's famous for." He laughed.

Oz agreed with one sound, "Umh."

" I'm going out, so I won't be back until late this evening. And Mrs. Kate's going to visit her sister. Do you think you'll be Ok on your own today?"

" I'm not seven. I know how to take care of myself...and the house." He attempted to say the words brightly, so he could back his tongue away from the sharp edge of disrespect.

" Alright, I'll see you tonight. And maybe you should get some more rest, you don't look so good."

"..."

" Oh...Mrs. Kate left a pot of oatmeal on the stove for you." The man said before leaving the room.

"...I hate her oatmeal." He said under his breath; thankfully, Oscar didn't hear him.

**-:::::::-**

One hour after his uncle left, Oz willed himself out of Gilbert's bed. He would have stayed there all day if he didn't have to use the bathroom. He walked over to the door, then thought better of leaving without grabbing something that belong to the man, just so he'd have a constant reminder. He walked over to Gilbert's closet and pulled out one of the man's white scarfs that he usually wore around his neck. Then Oz wrapped it around his left arm and tied it there.

He left the room and went to the bathroom. He used the toilet then ran the bath water. And when the bath was filled he got in it. He gave himself a full wash, and then let his tired body soak in the steaming liquid. Before he knew it, his eyes starting to close again.

**OOO**

" Oh! Yellow looks so good on her, wouldn't you agree?" The store lady asked Sharon, sounding phony as she stood behind Alice and fiddled with the velvet bow at the back of the dress.

Sharon cupped her hands together, " I think it looks marvelous, its so bright. What do you think, Break?"

Alice turned her head to see what his response would be, but the man just smirked at her...she could tell he didn't like the dress, and neither did she.

" Why don't we ask Alice if she likes it. Hum?" He suggested.

The store owner and Sharon gulped before they both looked at each other, then Sharon turned to Alice.

" You _do_ like this one, right? It looks so beautiful on you." Sharon said carefully, hoping to finally persuade the girl to choose one.

Alice looked back at herself in the mirror, eyes skimming over the deep yellow ruffles and the heavy embroidery, " I hate it...I look like an over grown sunflower." She said with all the resentment that anyone could possibly have for the color yellow.

" Well, there isn't many choices left. You've tried on half of what we have in stock." The woman said in a clipped tone; it was clear that she wanted them to finally buy something and leave.

Alice moved her eyes over to Sharon who was probably thinking about what other stores they could go to... this was the third one so far. Alice wasn't trying to be difficult, but she also wasn't the one who wanted a "ball gown" in the first place.

Since Sharon insisted on her wearing one, she at least wanted to be comfortable.

Alice let her eyes scan the store again...there had to be a dress that was wearable. Something simple that didn't make her look fat and puffy, or like a kid, or like she was swallowed by an excited garden and spat back out. She squinted when she noticed a dress toward the back of the store, it was a darker color...was it...purple?

Alice stepped down from the stool and started heading for the dress.

" Wait a minute" the store owner cried out, " Take that one off first, before it gets ruined."

Alice sucked her teeth and mumbled something about how the dress was already ugly before she reached her hand behind her back and unzipped it. She heard two loud gasp behind her when she let the dress fall from her body and onto the floor. Then she stepped out of it and left it there.

" Has she lost her mind! She'll disturb the other customers walking around like that..." The woman said desperately.

Sharon brought her hand over her mouth in embarrassment, having a hard time believing that Alice was walking around freely in a bra and underwear, " I deeply apologize ma'am. Alice isn't...from around here. Right, Break." The girl said looking for support.

The mad man just sat there with his face in his hand and a deep smirk, before he nodded at Sharon's comment and finished watching Alice cause a ruckus as she walk through the store.

He held back a laugh when he saw a woman gasp and cover her husbands eyes when Alice walked passed them. And an elderly woman outside nearly fainted when she looked in the store window.

As outrageous as the girl acted sometimes, he couldn't say that it wasn't something that he liked about her, she had a knack for keeping him guessing.

" I'll go get her." Sharon said, as she hurried after the girl.

Break felt a presence next to him; he looked up lazily and met the appalled glare of the store owner.

" A _real_ gentlemen would look away." She said in an insulting whisper, and then raised her narrow nose high in the air.

" Yes, but that would be pointless." He said seriously, taking out his purse so he could get something to snack on.

" Why?" She asked with dry curiosity.

" Because, after last night, I got accustom to seeing her that way. And I must say...it's a _very_ beautiful sight." He slipped a purple candy in his mouth, completely ignoring the horrified look on her face.

"You know, she has the cutest beauty mark on the inside of her-"

" I will listen to no more of this...perversity." She said as if she were going to throw up any minute.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, sir." The owner quickly picked up the yellow dress that Alice carelessly dropped and headed toward the other customers that were still floored by Alice's…display.

Break watched Sharon and Alice walk back with the dress. When it appeared that the girl was just going to stop and put it on, Sharon pretty much shoved her into the dressing room; asking her politely to never do that again, especially at the Ball.

The strawberry blond sighed heavily as she waited for Alice to come out.

"Don't you think you're being a little hard on her?" Break whispered.

" Not at all. I don't want her to acquire one of those… reputations. And what would Oz think if he found out I let her prance around like that?"

" The only thing Oz should be worried about is whether or not I find out the truth."

" Truth? What truth?" Sharon asked with rising concern.

Before Break could use Emily as a way to drop the subject, Alice walked out of the dressing room….And both Break and Sharon's breath caught.

Alice literally looked fabulous. The dress was a deep purple satin, strapless, and it hugged her curves from the top of her breast to her hips, before it flared out graciously in a soft heap of a few loosely placed fabric tucks; which made the dress flow out just enough to give it body and sophistication. Not to mention how it trailed to the floor perfectly.

It was simple and elegant, and all Sharon could do was move her finger in a twirling motion to signal Alice to turn around so they could see the back.

The girl tuned around and moved her long hair out of the way so they could see. The back was breathtaking as well. It was open back, save for purple satin strings used to lace it down and tighten it; almost like a corset without all the extra material.

When the girl turned back around, Break couldn't help but take pride in the fact that the dress was an ideal color match for her necklace, and both items brought the color of her eyes out at a heart stopping intensity.

Alice looked at her self in the mirror before turning to them with a smirk.

" I want this one." She said, not even bothering to ask if they liked it or not. She knew she found the perfect dress, and she didn't need anyone to tell her that. The look on their face said that they wouldn't disagree anyway.

" It's so lovely, I think I'm a bit jealous, Alice." Sharon said distantly as she looked over the dress again, then she snapped back to her senses. " Let me see if they have the right kind of shoes here, I'll be right back." The girl almost trotted off as she disappeared into the store.

Alice peered back in the mirror sliding her hands over the tight satin material around her waist, but then she felt a cool breeze run up the back of the dress. She turned and found Break standing behind her, bending over and looking up her dress curiously. She snatched the dress form him.

" Is there a problem?" She asked smartly.

" Not really…I just wish you could wear a skirt that evening, your legs are far too pretty to be covered like that. "_And now we can't see that fluffy tail either." _Emily said as a side comment.

Alice growled viciously before she attempted to back hand the man in his mouth; but he stole her hand, using it to spin her around and then fall against him; leaving them facing the mirror. She struggled for a few seconds before the man dipped his head down and placed sweet kisses on her neck. Alice smiled wickedly as she moved her head to the side so he could have more access to the area.

Her eyes hazed as she looked at their image in the mirror. The man was tall, and her height only brought her up to a little below his shoulders. She basked in the feeling of his warm breath and soft lips kissing her, and his firm hand coming up to encircle her stomach and stroke it slowly. She let out a soft moan and raised her arm up so she could caress the side of his face without changing their position.

She let their hot reflection guide her to his white hair, and right before her eyes were about to close she caught the reflection of the store owner watching them feel each other up.

The woman's jaw dropped, and so did some of the hangers in her hand.

" …Break." Alice said finally.

" Humm...?" He asked without ceasing his kissing. When he didn't hear her say anything he looked up and instantly saw that they had a flabbergasted audience. He smirked and whispered down to her.

"Maybe she wants to join us."

Alice snickered with amusement before she turned to look at the woman fully, then she looked back at Break. They stared at each other for a few seconds before they broke out in a rage of laughter.

**XXX**

" Master...are you alright in there?" Martha said from behind the bathroom door. The boy had been in the bathroom for an hour, and she just couldn't leave the house until she knew he was alright.

" Master..." She knocked, and still didn't get a response. Martha finally opened the door and when she walked in she noticed that the tub curtain was disheveled. She walked over to the tub and the loud shrill she wanted to let out got caught in her voice box as she leaned down and pulled the half drown Oz up in the bath tub.

" My goodness!" She said helping the boy sit up in the tub.

Oz coughed up water a few times and wiped his wet face with his wrinkly fingertips.

" I'm going to call the doctor." Martha stood up.

" Don't, I just slipped under."

" But-"

" I said no."

He looked at her with water redden eyes and a few more coughs coming from his mouth.

" ...Gilbert's going to kill me." She mumbled fearfully, biting on her thumb nail as she decided if she should tell the man or not. She could see Oz reaching for his towel, then she passed it to him and he stood up and wrapped himself before stepping out of the tub.

He walked passed her and she followed after him.

" Master, are you sure you don't want me to call?"

He shook his head before he walked into his room and shut the door. On the other side of it she spoke to him.

" I have to go to the market today, is there anything specific that you want?"

" I don't need anything." He said.

When he heard her give a sorrowful "Ok" he moved away from the door and proceeded to get dressed. As he did so, he tried to analyze why he would be careless enough to fall asleep in the tub. It wasn't like him to do that, but then again, he was ignoring one important element; he knew he wasn't feeling like himself to begin with, and on top of that…he was depressed.

Oz wasn't sure if he was feeling that way because he had the hunch that he had done something awful to Alice…even though he couldn't really remember what it was, or because he was longing to see someone; a particular someone. And for some strange reason, he also felt like a failure, like he was upset with himself for not doing something correctly….but what was it that he didn't do?

He wanted to just sit in the dark all day. But he knew he had to beat it. Instead of staying in the dark like he wanted, he decided to sit in the grass outside; hoping that the sun light would deflect the growing murkiness in his spirit.

**XXX**

As Gilbert walked down the path that was bringing him closer to home, he looked down at the paper bag in his hand and thought back to what Vincent had said before he left for the day.

_**-::::::::Flash back::::::::::-**_

"What's this?" Gilbert asked as he took the paper bag from his brother.

" It's something I know you'll need. But don't open it until you're outside."

Gilbert eyed the bag suspiciously "Whatever it is, I don't want it." The raven tried to hand the bag back to his brother. But Vincent waved his hand and refused to take it.

" You'll need it, or you'll end up hurting him. Don't worry, it works just fine, (yawn) Echo and Ada love it." He mumbled out the last part.

" I'm not sure I get what your saying."

" You'll know when the time comes. Go on...don't keep him waiting too long." He giggled.

" Alright, I'll be back later." Gilbert put the bag in the inside pocket of his black jacket and walked to the door.

" Oh, and Brother, make sure you use these two first." The blond said, holding up his first two fingers.

Gilbert raised a brow, wondering if his brother's fever was coming back, because he was beginning to talk nonsense.

_**-::::::::::End Flashback::::::::::-**_

Gilbert dug his hand in the bag and retrieved a small unlabeled jar. He opened it and smelled the contents as he walked. The color was clear, and it didn't really have a smell, so he dipped a little on his fingertips and rubbed his fingers together. It was slippery and viscous. He pondered on what it could possibly be, and then something his brother said entered his thoughts.

"_You'll need it, or you'll end up hurting him."_

Gilbert blushed " Is that what this is..." he said angrily through ground teeth. The man sighed, and then looked at his wet fingers. Automatically he realized the last part of what Vincent said about his fingers….and what he was supposed to do with them. His blush deepened.

Gilbert quickly put it away and wiped his hands on his jacket to get rid of the evidence. That was _not _his intention for going to see the boy, it was actually the last thing on his mind since worry and the feeling of how much he missed Oz consumed his thoughts.

Gilbert wanted to throw the jar in the woods and leave it there, but he decided to just give it back to the man instead.

He wanted to set the record straight with Vincent, and tell him that he wasn't some sort of...sex driven mad man that could only think about sleeping with his master all day.

...even if he did dream about it at night.

**XXX**

_Is that…really him?_

Oz had to squint just to make sure; his eyes could have been fooling him. He felt himself leaning forward as if his body wanted to get up and go to him, but he stayed put. His insides felt like they were melting with warmth, and he yearned to run up to the man, and explain what was happening, even though he couldn't really understand it himself.

It was true, the man had finally returned to him, and Oz didn't know if he should rejoice in celebration or send a silent prayer thanking the heavens. It was so ridiculous, because Gilbert had only been away for less than forty hours, but...Oz still felt his desperation for the man attack him like he had been gone for years.

But the closer the raven got the more he tried to talk himself into staying calm, and acting natural, because getting Gilbert worried was not his goal. And he also didn't want to tell him the truth out of fear that Gilbert would think he was crazy…or worst.

He watched the man kneel before him, and those golden eyes looked over him carefully, like Oz was a potential clue to a mystery. Gilbert's sharp eyes soon fell on Oz's wrist that was still wrapped with the man's scarf, but Gilbert didn't say anything about it.

" Hi!" Oz said with makeshift happiness. When the man just looked at him blankly Oz shifted uncomfortably. He hated when Gilbert was able to read him so easily, not to mention effortlessly rejected his fake smiles, when Oz worked so hard to develop them.

" Why haven't you answered my calls." Gilbert asked, moving some of Oz's bangs out of his eyes.

" A mouse chewed through the cord last night…I haven't looked for the replacement yet."

The raven stayed silent and studied Oz again before he shook his head and made a negative "mm" sound, " Something's wrong." Gilbert stated with surety and unapologetic bluntness.

Oz shook his head, still unable to break his eyes away from the man.

" Everything's...been normal." The blond swallowed deeply.

"…Then why do you look so nervous?"

" Wh-What do you mean?"

Gilbert moved his palm on top of the blond's hand then flipped it over. Oz looked down and saw that his hand was tightly gripping uprooted grass and dirt; he didn't realize that he had been pulling at it.

Oz didn't provide an explanation for his fidgety hands or awkward behavior, instead he looked past Gilbert and up at the sky, noticing that dark and ominous clouds were approaching.

" It's going to rain soon." He said absently to himself.

Gilbert looked up at the sky briefly, then stood up and reached his hand out so he could help the boy up. Oz took it, wiped his hands on his shorts, and followed the man to the house.

**-::::::::-**

Once inside Gilbert walked to the kitchen with Oz. The blond quickly sat on the counter and let his legs swing back and forth, watching Gilbert get reacquainted with the kitchen. The boy finally settled with relief, and he inwardly sighed with contentment. His mood was even lifting as if a damp cloth had been removed from his body. Truly, it felt so good to have the man with him again.

" Where is everyone?" The raven asked looking in the big pot on the stove.

" My uncle's out for the day. And Mrs. Kate has the day off, she might not be back until tomorrow."

He closed the pot lid, " What about Martha...and the chain?"

" Martha went food shopping, and I think Alice is with Sharon."

" She's been going over there a lot." Gilbert said.

" Umnh" Oz said with a nod, he wasn't in the mood to talk about Alice, so he didn't further the conversation.

" Did Martha make you lunch before she left?"

Oz wiped his hand across the back of his neck, " No...But if I got hungry, I would've made something." He said reassuringly, looking down at his swinging legs.

Gilbert gave out an annoyed huff and swung a pair of cabinet doors open, " How irresponsible. I leave for two days and she's already slaking on essential tasks."

Oz smiled, " It's no big deal. I wasn't hungry anyway." Oz tried hard to diffuse the man's anger; he knew Gilbert could get really picky and critical about how he thought Oz should be served...especially if it wasn't carried out correctly.

" Are you hungry now?" The raven looked back at the boy.

" Not really."

Gilbert blinked and looked back at the cabinets, "I'm making you lunch anyway. You clearly haven't eaten breakfast." The man said, making a point to nod his chin toward the pot of untouched oatmeal that was sitting cold on the stove.

Oz shrugged a shoulder, " I don't like Mrs. Kate's oatmeal...It's too clumpy." The boy wrinkled his nose at the thought.

Gilbert let out an "um" sound, remembering that Oz did tell him that before.

The man went into the pantry, "Why would she choose to shop _today_? It's like she let the pantry go bare before she decided to do something about it." Gilbert said before coming out with a few potatoes, a can of corned beef, and one onion.

The boy's pupils expanded when he noticed what Gilbert was getting ready to make him. Oz's loved corned beef and he loved potatoes; but as much as he liked them separately he never had them both together. Mrs. Kate usually made his lunch, and she always felt that an extravagant meal that resembled dinner was better than something so simple and delicious.

It was funny, because even though Gilbert complained of not having enough food to work with, his choice for the day proved that the man had a talent for making something grand out of barely anything.

Oz watched intently as the man took off his hat, rolled up his sleeves, and set to work. He quickly and skillfully skinned the potatoes and chopped them into large cubes, then rinsed them off and threw them into the sauce pan. Oz was so busy watching that he forgot to ask Gil if he wanted help; but the man would have most likely refused anyway.

Oz saw the man put water and salt in the sauce pan and let it boil up tenderly, before he eventually took out the potatoes and smashed them up in a large bowl. He added butter and a bit of ground pepper to it, before putting it aside and covering it.

Oz's stomach was growling, and he continued to watch attentively as Gilbert opened the can and cut the contents up into even slices, and then put them into the skillet with some diced onions. The aroma made Oz's mouth water. The raven only let the beef sauté for a few minutes before he was finished.

In no time Oz had a plate in front of him. The man even decorated the meal with a dash of parsley.

The boy thanked him and almost inhaled the meal, complementing Gilbert's wonderful cooking between bites. Gilbert just sat there with a cup of water and watched him with a smile and a cigarette in hand.

" I thought you weren't hungry." The raven said teasingly.

Oz blushed a bit at being caught in a lie, and when he was finished, Gilbert stopped him from cleaning off the table and did it himself. So Oz went over to the sink to get himself some water.

" How's your brother?" Oz asked as he poured water into the glass cup.

" He's doing better. I'm supposed to go back for one more night until Echo gets back tomorrow afternoon."

When the words hit his eardrums, they vibrated harshly and made his ears ring. Oz didn't even consider that, how did that crucial factor slip passed him?

_Wait…What day is it?…didn't Echo say…_

Oz froze. The girl had said _three_ days…not two. And he should have known that if Gilbert didn't have his suitcase then he didn't come back to stay.

Oz looked down at the water in his hand and stood there lifelessly, immobile, and unable to do anything but mutter Gilbert's words under his cold breath.

"..going back..." Oz's grip unintentionally loosened around the glass...

_**Crash!**_

" Oz..." Gilbert walked over to the boy, watching him continue to look down at his hand as if the cup was still in it. Water and glass lay at his feet and Gilbert placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and spoke to him kindly.

" I'll clean it up." He said, thinking that Oz was just stunned that he dropped it in the first place.

Oz blinked a few times and looked at him, and then Gilbert stooped down and began cleaning up the wet glass. He didn't notice Oz taking a few steps back, nor did he see the boy quickly bite his bottom lip in despair.

Oz wanted to call up Vincent and tell him to go to hell, let the man know that he couldn't have Gilbert back...even if it was for one more night; Oz didn't think he could last one more night.

The blond reached his hands up to the sides of his hair and grip the blond strands roughly, attempting to keep his thoughts in check. He could feel the words making the tip of his tongue tingle, all he had to do was give an order…say the words and Gilbert would oblige him and stay put.

It was that simple.

But all that was wrong. Even though he had the power to stop the man from leaving, he would never do it, because if Gilbert was his master and Ada was sick, he knew the man would let him go.

But as Oz stood there he knew that he was wasting time, if he could only be with Gilbert for a little while then he wanted to make the most of it...and make that close feeling last until the next time he saw him. Oz was grateful that Gilbert didn't see him have a brief breakdown, but his next actions, he wanted his eyes on him; he wanted the man to watch the whole thing.

" I hope Martha gets back here soon, I'll be able to make you a big dinner before I leav-"

Gilbert stopped speaking when he felt the slight breeze of something soft hit the floor beside him. Lighting flashed outside the window followed by the rumbling of afternoon thunder slipping through the house.

Gilbert dared himself to look up and see what Oz was doing, and when he did, he had to prevent himself from dropping the glass again. The boy had removed his vest and his white shirt; they were tossed on the ground before him. The spilled water was slowly sailing toward the clothes, stopping when the white fabric of Oz shirt began to absorb it.

But that didn't stop Oz from starting to undue his plaid shorts as well.

"...Oz?" Gilbert managed to get out, something in the back of his mind wondered what it was about the kitchen that made Oz want to take his clothes off.

The boy looked back at him with sad but soft eyes, dropping his shorts and underwear and stepping out of them. Then he started to take off his brown boots and socks.

" Gil...have you read the book I gave you?" He said just above a whisper.

Gilbert had a hard time responding to the boy, mind still trying to take in his thin frame and naked skin.

" I read it...but..." Gilbert turned his eyes away from the boy, feeling himself get excited and blush at the thought. " You want me to do that...now?" He looked back at him with question.

Oz nodded and took off the scarf around his wrist. Gilbert took a minute to get up, but when he did he placed the broken glass in the sink and stepped over the wet spot on the floor.

Gilbert stood in front of the boy and took off his black jacket. He brought it over the blond's shoulders and tried to cover his body with it.

He knew he couldn't take Oz yet.

Gilbert could see right through him, something was off about the boy ever since he left that day...and he had a feeling whatever it was had gotten a bit worst. And even though the freshness of deep love shown through Oz's pretty green eyes...it wouldn't be right to make love to him and then leave right after.

Gilbert tightened his overcoat around Oz, "We can do this tomorrow. When there's more time." he said softly.

" No...I need you now." Oz said, placing his hands on the man waist and hooking his fingers through his belt loops.

"Oz-"

" Now, Gil."

To add a bit of emphasis Oz began to quickly kiss down the man stomach, then he dropped down to his knees and began to slip the mans belt strap out of the loops.

Gilbert started to panic a little when Oz's small hands were making progress and beginning to grope him. The raven swiftly bent down to Oz's level, looked him in the eyes and then kissed him. It was a strong kiss, one that pushed Oz back a little and made him throw his arms around the man so he could meet his force without falling backward.

Although, the jacket did fall off of his shoulders.

They were both hungry for each other, not caring how sloppy the kiss was because all that mattered was that they could kiss…after two days of missing solid physical affection. But even through all that, Gilbert broke the kiss, he swallowed hard and spoke against the boys lips.

" Oz…I want to be able to stay with you after…lets just wait."

" It'll be Ok, It's not like I won't see you again. I'll see you tomorrow night, right?" Oz said trying to convince himself more than Gilbert.

" But, I-"

He didn't give the man more time to think it over so he connected their lips again, and gripped the shirt of his soon to be lover.

He knew Gilbert was losing his resistance when the man kissed him back roughly, and after a minute he began to scoop Oz up with ease, carrying him out of the kitchen like a groom would carry a bride. So Oz laid his head against the man's chest, listening to the raven's heart beat like harsh knocks on padded doors.

They entered Oz's bedroom, and Gilbert shut the door with his foot before he placed the boy down on the bed, not forgetting to kiss him a few more times before he stood up.

Oz only half noticed that his room was quite dark since the sun was being held captive by the approaching storm. And since there was an open window right next to his bed, he could smell the rain getting ready to fall…and he wondered if it would be a hard falling.

Oz watched Gilbert put his hands on his belt buckle. Then the man stopped and sighed heavily.

" Oz…I-"

The blond shook his head to silence the man, then he looked down at the raven's waist and nodded toward his belt, as a silent command for him to finish taking it off. Gilbert hesitated at first but then he began to undo it. The blond's skin blushed with arousal because just the sound of the metal of Gilbert's belt hitting against itself and loosening was increasing the strain on his lower stomach.

Oz observed the way the raven took off his shirt and let it fall to the floor. His green eyes scan over the scar on his chest before he took in the man's body as a whole.

In Oz's opinion he had an ideal build to his body, toned but not too much, and as his eyes fell from the man's chest he gripped the covers when he saw the deep "V" cut to his hips and the attractive trial of soft hair that started below his navel and lead to the curly ebony mass below it, like a shallow stream leading to a deep ocean.

When Gilbert's pants and underwear fell to the floor Oz got to see his thick manhood in full view. Oz tilted his head a bit when he noticed that Gilbert's hard length didn't stick straight out like his own, but…it curved upward like an arrow.

When the man finally kneeled on the bed, Oz crawled backward and his servant followed. Then he pulled back the covers so they could get under them. Everything seemed primitive and hot, and the boiling emotions in Gilbert's eyes swirled deep and dark as he loosely pinned Oz beneath him before gliding his right hand along the length of his side…Oz shivered.

Gil finally leaned down and sucked on the blond's neck. It felt good, and made Oz squirm in pleasure as he felt a fresh breeze flow through the window and onto his torso. Oz couldn't tell if he was seeing stars or if lighting had illuminated the room, but it was possible that both things occurred at once.

His hips jerked forward when he felt the raven grab hold of his manhood with his right hand. Oz looked down and stifled a whimper when Gilbert stoked him with his large hands and strong grip. Only slight strangled noises escaped from him as he let Gilbert manipulate the pressure in his body, and raise it to the surface of his swelled tip.

The man stopped briefly to adjust Oz's body. He grabbed a pillow and made Oz lift up so he could place it under his backside, causing the boys midsection to be elevated off the bed. Then Oz heard him swear.

" What?" The boy asked in a slight pant.

" There's…something I need to get in my jacket, I'll be right back."

Before the man could get off the bed, Oz sat up and grabbed his arm.

" What is it?"

" It's…umm. This stuff…that um-"

" Lubricant?"

"…ah…yeah." The man looked down shyly, it was so embarrassing that Oz could get out the right word but he struggled with it so much.

Oz was too aroused to wait, so he grabbed the man's right hand and brought it up to his mouth. "We don't need it, just go like this." Oz took the man's tall middle finger and sucked on it seductively, he was pleased when he looked up and saw the man's eyes slide close in pleasure.

Oz wet his first three fingers one by one, and when he pulled away, he watched his saliva slip down the man's hand as he sat back and spread his legs.

He watched Gilbert bite his lip at the sight. Then the man assumed the position in front of him and gently rubbed his wet fingers against his smooth entrance. Oz let out a low whimper because the lukewarm contact was amazing. His head tilted back as the man caressed the soft crease between his bottom cheeks.

Even if the man was too shy to verbalize the actions, he was an expert at executing them. So much so that Oz got heavily lost in each one, even the feathery touches and kisses were fulfilling for the boy.

The storm screamed out again, making the house rumble. Gilbert finally decided to push his middle finger into Oz's puckered center. The boy instantly squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his inner muscles. He wasn't in that much pain…but, it also wasn't something that he felt everyday.

" Are you alright?"

" Huh ?" The boy pried open a single scrunched eye to look at the man," I'm fine, keep going" Oz said taking a deep breath and forcing a crooked smile to arise on his face, before he closed his eye again and waited for the awkward sensation to continue.

For a second he didn't feel the man move, but then the bed shifted a little and Oz moaned loudly when he felt Gilbert lean down and licked the very tip of his shaft. Gilbert was skillfully using his tongue and left hand to pleasure him while moving his single digit back and forth, twisting his finger every few seconds.

The pleasure was quickly blocking out the uncomfortable preparation, and as a result, Oz barely noticed when Gilbert snuck in his index finger and added it with the first.

The rain finally started.

Light drops bounced off the windowsill and sprayed Oz's arm, as if to cool him down before his lover over heated him. His fingers searched through the raven's hair and caressed it as Gilbert continued sucking on him.

But the boy gave out a disappointed whine when he felt Gilbert's tongue cease its ministrations. Oz knew the man needed to concentrate on opening up his entrance more. And luckily, Oz was fairly use to the man's fingers…but then..

" Ngh!…Gil."

The man stopped, mumbling an apology because he thought he hurt the boy, so he began to retract his fingers.

Oz caught his servant's wrist before he slipped his fingers out, then he moved his hips forward and pulled Gilbert's arms back toward him; causing his fingers to get buried again. He heard Gilbert release a small noise at the surprise action. Oz wrapped his arms around the man's neck bringing him down so he could whisper to him.

" Don't stop yet." He said huskily.

The raven kissed him sweetly in understanding before he positioned himself more comfortably between the boy's legs and set his right arm to work. Gilbert's fingers moved in and out of him slowly and then he began to pick up the pace.

Every time Gilbert's fingers hit against that soft spot deep in Oz's body the boy twisted and cried out in boiling bliss. A thick woven ecstasy was spiraling up in the boy's groin, causing his nails to dig into the flesh of his lover's back, and the slick pressure to tighten up and make his toes curl.

Oz couldn't help it; he wasn't expecting it to feel _that good _or for there to be a spot that sent deep intense currents of sexual excitement zipping through every nerve in his body.

He could have truly laid right there spread out like a selfish slob and got off on Gilbert's heavenly fingers alone. But after a complete seven minutes of Gilbert fingering him at a strong hot pace, the man leaned down and nuzzled his face in Oz's neck breathing deeply.

" Oz…I need a second, my arm's tired." Gilbert sounded drained, like his right arm had never worked so hard in his life. But he still sounded very eager to continue pleasing the boy that way.

Oz licked his dry lips and let his head fall back against the pillow, trying to finish riding out a left over wave of pleasure, "Sorry Gil…You're just really good at that." Oz said breathlessly, "But I'm ready for you now."

" If you don't want to, we don't have to go that far, I can-"

Oz looked at him like he was insane, " Of course I want to.." The boy kissed his lips softly and smiled.

The man blushed lightly, and carefully slipped his fingers out of the boy. Then Oz allowed him to remove the pillow from underneath him. The man took hold of his hips and adjusted them so that his entrance was aligned with his manhood. When Gilbert's twitching tip pressed against him, Oz tried hard not to restrict his ring of muscle, but he really wanted to.

Oz planted his feet on the bed and braced himself, then the man leaned down and took his lips and kissed them lovingly before he pulled away, connected their foreheads, closed his eyes, and thrust his hips forward, automatically meeting a harsh muscular resistance that he painfully struggled to push past.

The pain was so bad that it literally shut down Oz's ability to speak. It was a blinding agony that made his eyes water; and Oz definitely regretted not having the man get the lubricant. As Gilbert strained to push into him deeper, he could feel the skin of his entrance tearing mercilessly around the edges.

All Oz could do was bite his lip and advert his attention away from the fierce sting and attempt to focus on something else. But even as his mind tried to find comfort in the cool rain drops falling on his shoulder, his front teeth were still cutting into the edge of his bottom lip.

He didn't realize that he was trying to wiggle his way away from Gilbert's manhood until the man halted his hips and gently pulled them forward, lodging himself deeper into the boy as he did so.

Oz nearly screamed out in anguish, he wanting to tell Gilbert to stop, but when he opened his eyes his heart fluttered at the sight before him.

Even through all his physical pain, he found himself captivated by the complete look of rapture that was etched carefully on Gilbert's handsome features. As silly as it sounded, Oz was tempted to make an _Aww_ sound. The man just looked so damn innocent hovering above him with his eyes shut tight in pleasure, and his brow furrowed slightly as he tried to keep his heavy breathing under control. He watched Gilbert lick his lips and his pleasure filled expression was just a sweet reminder that it wasn't just Oz's first time...but it was also his best friend's.

It took him to see that to remember that Gilbert was _just now_ experiencing what it was like to be inside of someone; it was no wonder the man had a hard time controlling himself….he didn't know any better.

Oz reached his shaky hand up and ran his fingers through the man's wavy black hair causing Gilbert to open his almond eyes a little. But then his golden orbs widened with realization.

" Your… bleeding." He said in a quiet panic.

Oz wiped his bottom lip with the back of his hand and looked at it, a red streak appeared on his skin and his initial response was to just lick his lips. But Gilbert was beginning to withdraw from his body.

"Why didn't you tell me I was hurting you like that." He said in quick anger, trying to ease his was out of the blond, but Oz brought his legs up and locked them behind the man's back so he couldn't move.

He smiled softly, " It doesn't hurt as much as you think." Oz lied, knowing very well that he had never felt anything that horrible in his life.

Gilbert looked at him for a moment before he lowered his head and shook it slowly in shame. The action reminded Oz of when they were kids and how emotional his friend got if he didn't do something right. So, Oz assumed the role that he always took in that situation. He had to prove that everything was Ok and guide Gilbert though the last half of their endeavor…the same way the man had guided Oz through the beginning of it.

When he felt Gilbert trying to unlatch his legs and break free, Oz brought his hand up to the man's cheek and caressed it before leaning forward and kissing his lips lightly. When he was confident that the man was calm, he pulled away only to use his arms to help raise his hips off the bed and start moving them back and forth slowly. He watched instant pleasure wash over the man's face again, as he groan out Oz's name and closed his eyes.

He could feel Gilbert shaking, and Oz gave himself a mental thumbs up. He finally got the man to stop thinking, and even for him the pain was subsiding as he finished adjusting to Gilbert's thickness. He slowed his hips down when he felt the man taking over, deepening his movements a little bit at a time.

Gilbert finally leaned Oz back onto the bed and claimed his lips, pecking them a few times before he tilted his head to the side and began gently licking the small cut clean, lapping at the blood as his hips began to roll more fluidly into the boy.

The mixture of the raven's soft tongue soothing his lip and caressing it slowly, and hearing Gilbert give a low moan every few seconds, was making Oz's mind fog over. It was that moment that Oz felt his insides quiver, and his eyes glazed completely as he let out a hoarse whimper.

Gilbert had caressed his soft spot.

He tightened his limbs around the man, clinging to him as he brought repetitive love and pleasure to his insides. It finally happened. They had found that harmonious balance where pain and insecurity were defeated and all that was left was for them to ascend to a higher level of bliss. As Gilbert's manhood filled him and claimed his body with each accurate thrust, Oz could feel his love for the man glowing gold as it carved itself permanently into the inside of his bones; a safe place where it would remain even after his flesh was dead an decayed.

The man's thrust were getting more powerful and entering into him quicker; synchronizing with Oz's steady moans which were louder and becoming shorter in sound. He wanted to quiet himself because he sounded distinctly female…but he had no control over himself, he had given it up the moment Gilbert entered him.

-::::::::-

When Gilbert looked down at Oz he knew he would never see anything more stunning in his life. The boy looked erotic with his blushed cheeks and lusty green eyes. He was sweating a little bit, making his blond bangs stick to his forehead. And every time Oz tried to silence himself, Gilbert would tell him " Don't" because the sound was so maddening that the raven would do anything to keep hearing it.

The intense way Gilbert looked in his eyes would surly make the world jealous; since nothing else mattered to the man.

It was like he was given a secret place that was reserved only for him, a place where he could experience the highest type of euphoria. He continued to move between the boy's milky legs and relish in the tightness of his silky insides that hugged his member so perfectly.

Yes, he knew the boy belonged to him.

It felt like he was watching the dynamics of their relationship change right before his eyes. Nothing could have prepared him for the physical or emotional feelings he was feeling at that moment…and the complete depth that came with them. Oz was his master, his best friend…and now the boy was completely his lover.

And with that new title rising up and encasing the others, it was like they were discovering each other all over again, but this time it was from the inside out. Not to mention the fact that their weeks worth of foreplay seemed like amateur amusement compared to what was sparking and building between them at that moment.

The raven was complete.

He had been given the ultimate blessing, and there was no way he was going to take it for granted. He knew from the loving way Oz was looking at him that the boy had given up his whole self, entrusting his body and love to him. And Gilbert was flattered to receive it.

He watched Oz's pale lips part a little as he stared hazily into Gilbert's eyes and brought one of his soft hands up to the side of the man's cheek. Oz was approaching that point, and it was mind blowing to be inside the boy and actually feel his insides clenching as he reached his climax. His cries and moans had gotten sporadic, and Gilbert felt high as he continued to bury himself into Oz's core and stoke it. Oz's muscles were starting to extract the fluid out of Gilbert's manhood, easily drawing it out of him and letting it fill up his hot center.

Gilbert closed his eyes and let out a ragged grunt, shuddering as he emptied himself with the most intense satisfaction he ever experienced; he loved the way Oz called out his name when he finally felt the boy spilling onto his stomach. Gilbert licked his lips in approval, feeling the boy's hips vibrate while he tried to support his legs and help Oz's ride through each tremor.

Gilbert felt exhausted but he didn't collapse onto the boy, instead he softly slipped out of him and leaned down to consume the sweet seed that Oz released between them. He licked the boy's, member and his stomach, trying not to let any drop go to waste; all the while Oz whimpered quietly, petting Gilbert's hair until the man was finished. Gilbert crawled up and lay down beside the boy. His heart filled when he felt Oz kiss his cheek and connect their lips, slowly kissing them while they tangled their limbs and enjoyed the warmth they were creating.

**XXX**

Even though the rain had stopped, Oz and Gilbert were not aware of it. They had fallen asleep soon after their love making and at that moment Oz was curled up in his lover's body. The boy would have been in the perfect fetal position, but one of his thighs were caught between Gilbert's legs; and the blond's forehead rested against the raven's chest. Even in his deep nap Gilbert's arm supported Oz's lower back and held him close.

Another hour went by; making the time finally hit five o'clock in the evening. It was odd because both males jolted out of sleep around the same time, almost as if something had rudely awakened them, but it was only their own internal alarms ringing them out of slumber.

Gilbert looked down at Oz, and the boy looked back at him; Oz knew what was about to happen...so he smiled sheepishly and made pretend that he accepted it. But to his surprise, the blacked haired man leaned down and kissed his lips, then dotted slow kisses up the side of Oz's face snuggling up with him again. Oz knew Gilbert had to leave but by the way Gilbert was holding him it appeared that the man had no intention on going anywhere.

When Oz realized he was getting caught up in Gilbert's warmth again, he forced himself to get up and get dressed; leaving Gilbert on the bed. Eventually, the man sighed sadly and sat on the side of the bed, rubbing his shoulder and cracking his neck.

Since they were in Oz's room it wasn't hard to pull open his draws and get some clothes out...a white shirt, and some shorts; he didn't bother to put on a tie or a vest. Gilbert took longer to put his clothes on. So Oz got the chance to finish admiring the man's toned chest before he covered it up with his cream button up shirt.

Oz watch Gilbert's eyes fall on the bed and his expression looked tense; Oz followed the path of his gaze. When he saw what was there, he quickly walked up to the bed and pulled up his blanket so it covered the small bloodstains that had dried there.

He knew the evidence of his lost virginity was startling to the man, because Gilbert looked back with rounded apologetic eyes.

"I...didn't even realize..." he said with deep remorse in his voice, eyes looking from Oz's face down to the boy's waist then back to the bed with sadness.

Oz walked up to him and gave him a firm embrace before he looked up and spoke, " You didn't do anything wrong, Gil. That's just...what ends up happening the first time."

" Are you sure?"

" Yup. So don't worry about it." Oz said happily, standing on his toes so he could peck the man's cheek, " It was worth it anyway."

It took a minute, but Gilbert nodded and watched Oz turn to leave the room. It didn't slip past the raven that Oz was tying to hide the serious limp he had.

**-:::::::::-**

The whole time Gilbert was straitening up the kitchen he didn't feel right. The raven was dreading the moment that he had to leave the boy. No matter how he looked at it, the entire thing was emotionally disabling. And Oz couldn't fool him either, because he would take quick glimpses at him and see the boy looking out the window with sadness in his eyes. If Oz caught him staring the boy would throw on one of the infamous "happy" smiles that Gilbert hated.

It wasn't only the concept of leaving that was bothering him, it was also that fact that his suspicion about Oz's behavior had increased when he saw the phone cord and replaced it. A mouse couldn't have made a cut that clean…someone intentional sliced it.

**-:::::::::-**

They walked outside together, side by side; Gilbert's hand searched for Oz's and captured it as their steps made the wet grass squeak under their shoes. The sun was out again, standing proud in a blue cloudless sky and reflecting off the shiny puddles that lay rippling in the sinking dirt.

The sun shone humbly, like it was apologizing for failing to stop the storm from seizing the sky. And even though the nighttime hours would be approaching shortly, the bright star made a triumphant return, one worth acknowledging.

They both stopped when they reached the gate, eying the path for a few seconds before Oz finally turned to Gilbert.

" I guess I'll see you at the Ball tomorrow."

Gilbert didn't say anything, he just continued to look at the boy, then he looked back at the mansion. Gilbert's silence implied many things…so Oz looked over at a near by tree, watching leftover raindrops roll off curved leaves like tears off soft cheeks.

Silence stood with them as they waited there, then Oz looked at the ground. He resisted the raging urge to step closer to the man; but he did clutch Gilbert's hand as if it was a life line.

Reality was beginning to get the best of him. Emotionally, he had an idea of what he was getting himself into when he and Gilbert finally shared each other in totality, and it was a beautiful sharing, one he would never regret. But he supposed if it were a normal day that he would take the aftermath a lot better than he was. However, under the circumstances…and with the way he had been feeling…

Maybe he thought that if they let it get that deep, that if he let Gilbert imprint the inside of his body, and flood it...that the feeling would last long enough to block out the cold loneliness when the man finally left. The feeling did last, but in the end it just hurt more to have to give him back up.

The yearning only grew stronger than it did before he saw the man that day; so strong that he was fighting back tears as he looked down at the wet dirt and held onto Gilbert's hand.

There was so much he wanted to say, maybe tell him the truth of what was actually going on, like how he had gaps in his memory, and that he was catching himself doing bad things…unfaithful things. Tell him not to leave him by himself… and most of all …tell the raven he loved him.

When he felt Gilbert kneeling down, Oz closed his watery eyes and tilting his head with large smile, but Gilbert didn't play along with him like he hoped he would. The man made a blunt noise of disapproval and swiped his thumb underneath one of Oz's eyes, killing a tear that had slipped down without permission.

" I don't like when you fake like that." The man said with a deep frown.

Oz stepped back and quickly wiped any left over tears, hating that he wasn't more careful with hiding his hurt, " I'm not faking."

Gilbert just looked back at the boy with a disappointed stare, before he sighed, "I want you to come to the Nightray house with me."

" Why." Oz asked.

" I'm worried about you, I'll feel better if you come with me. Let's go back inside and get your stuff." Gilbert got up and started walking, but the boy wouldn't budge.

" How can I prove to you that I'm fine?" Oz asked through the realest sounding fake laugh he could mange.

" You _can't._" He said sharply " I already know your lying when you say that. I wish you'd just...tell me the truth, Oz."

Oz was so close to telling him, so close. The hurt in the man's voice and Gilbert's desperation was breaking him. Oz was also considering taking the man up on his request but Oz knew that if he went with him that Gilbert would be more focused on taking care of Oz's needs than his brothers, and all Oz wanted was for Vincent to hurry up and get better so he could permanently have the raven back.

" Listen...I promise I'll call you if I need to. I just want you to finish taking care of him so you can come back home tomorrow."

After a moment Gilbert shook his head defiantly, he let go of Oz's hand and headed in the direction of the house.

" What are you doing?" Oz asked with confusion.

" I'm calling Vincent."

" Why?"

" …."

Oz stood there for a minute, then he understood what the man was trying to do. He raced to catch up to the man.

" Don't do that, if you promised you'd go back then you should."

Gilbert just kept walking, completely ignoring his master like he was part of the scenery. So, Oz ran past him and stood in his path.

" I want you to keep your promise...I know if something happens to him you'll regret that you didn't go."

" The only thing I'll regret is leaving you like this." The man looked down briefly before he looked back up at the boy, "I…want to stay with you."

Oz's heart sank, but he forced himself to shake his head in a solid " No" and he held the man's gaze determinedly and walked up to him.

" Go to him, and tomorrow night you'll come back with me."

Gilbert's jaw clenched and he looked away. Oz took Gilbert's hat off and placed it on his own head. He rubbed the man's arm affectionately before he started walking to the house.

He didn't want to kiss the man again, because at that point he knew he would have taken back every word and let the man stay with him.

" Oz." Gilbert called for the boy but his heart split in half when Oz didn't turn around.

" Go." Oz said firmly without looking back.

Oz finally reached the side door and he entered the quiet kitchen. He turned to look out the window, wanting to break it when he saw that Gilbert was still standing on the lawn. The man had the most conflicted and broken expression on his face, and Oz's heart started pounding when he saw Gilbert take a few steps toward the house.

_Don't come in here_…Oz willed Gilbert to just leave. He knew if the man walked through that door that he wouldn't hesitate to lock it behind the raven, throw the man in the bed and make a nest out of his strong safe arms.

Oz bit his lip and rubbed his teeth against the small cut that was there…it started bleeding the instant his servant ran his fingers through his black hair in frustration, and turned to leave.

**OOO**

When Alice, Sharon, and Break got back to the Rainsworth estate, Sharon took Alice and began her "preparation" for the upcoming day. She sent Break away so she could do a test drive of hairstyles on the brunet. And even though no one really wore make up, she still used some to see what it would look like on the girl.

Sharon scolded Alice every time she moved away from the powder brush or accidentally smudged her light pink lipstick by trying to eat the candies on the dresser.

And doing the girls hair proved to be extremely difficult since Alice wouldn't stay still long enough for her to put the curlers in properly, and her hair was too long and heavy to put up in a proper bun. So Sharon settled for deciding what to do with it the next day instead.

The only thing that went smoothly was the nail filing process, because it gave Alice a free hand to eat her snacks with.

**XXX**

It was ten o'clock and Oz couldn't sleep. He paced up and down the hallways, climbed the stairs several times, circled the grounds and gardens and only stopped to sit for three minutes before he did it again. The moments when he wasn't thinking about Gilbert, he was thinking about how irritable and restless he was feeling. He even thought about going to the Nightray house just to see the man.

He had reached the point of desperation when he felt that cold feeling come back into his chest and the dizziness becoming more noticeable as he walked. Fear filled him when thoughts of Alice were taking form in his mind. When he closed his eyes, he could see her sitting in a garden laughing with roses lying next to her. She was always looking at him…even though he couldn't see himself. He had the urge to reach out and touch her, to hold her.

When the boy tried to shake the thoughts away, he felt nauseous. So he eventually found himself in the dinning room. Oz picked up the phone and let his hands struggle to dial the number. It rang a few times and Oz closed his eyes and prayed that the man would pick up.

"Hello?"

"...Gil."

" Oz, why are you still awake? It's late."

"I wanted to make sure you got back alright."

Gilbert was quiet for a minute; Oz could tell that the man was analyzing his reason for calling.

" I made it here fine."

" Good, I'm glad."

" Are you...feeling Ok?" Gilbert asked, hinting off at what they did earlier and the fact that the boy said he'd call if something happened.

" I'm a little sore, but otherwise I feel great." He lied smoothly.

The raven sighed in response, neither affirming nor denying whether he believed the boy. It was silent for a few minutes, and as Oz found himself struggling to stand in one place, he finally let his back slide down the wall and sat sloppily on the floor leaning his head against the desk.

" Hey, Gil?"

" Hum?"

Oz swallowed hard, he wanted to finally say to the man what he had wanted to say earlier that day, actually, he had always wanted to say the particular words but now...he wanted to do it before he was robbed of the chance.

" If anything ever happened to me, you would know that...that I-"

" What? Why are you talking like that? Is someone threatening you?"

" No."

" Nothing's going to happen to you, Oz." The man said with firmness, but there was also the clear sound of heartbreak in his voice, upset that Oz would even think something bad would happen to him.

" I know, I just..."

" Has Jack been saying things to you?" He said with angry concern. From Oz's perspective it appeared that the man had been waiting a long time to ask him that.

" No...I haven't heard him in over a year." Oz answered honestly.

The man sighed deeply, " Oz, you're starting to scare me." The man said, voice sounding broken and defeated. If Oz could see him he would know Gil had his hand over his golden eyes.

" Just forget I mentioned it then."

"How can I forget something like that?

"..."

"I should of never left you alone today" Gilbert sounded like he as furious with himself,"I want you to put Martha on the phone."

" Why?" Oz said with sharp distaste.

" Just go get her."

The boy huffed, "...Hold on."

Oz willed himself up from the floor and walk down the hall to the kitchen. Even though it was late, he knew the girl was still in the kitchen doing dishes.

"...Martha, Gil wants to speak to you."

She looked back at him, then turned off the water, " H-He does." She said with apprehension. Her body tensed a little as she wiped her hands with a dry cloth and walked slowly to the dinning room with Oz.

The girl picked up the phone, watching Oz sit in a seat at the table. She knew the boy was trying to listen in, even though he didn't look well.

"Hello? Yes..I did, well, not until late...Oh, I apologize Gilbe-No, No I did no such thing...you... I would never...But, I've just been so busy!...I'm sorry, I didn't mean too...Yes, well umm," The young woman look over at Oz before she continued " Not so good, he...oh, Ok hold on."

Oz watched as Martha picked up a pen and paper, then she proceeded to gather the phone in her arms and carry it to the hallway; so Oz couldn't hear her.

His body felt too shaky to get up, his leg was bouncing under the table, and his hand was steadily tapping on the rim of the table, he felt anxious and awake. But he still strained to hear the conversation; he could only hear a little of it.

" ...I already tried at nine o'clock, but he refuses to go. He's just not tired...is there a specific kind?...Ok I'm ready. Uh hum...Yes, I know where that is. Ah, are you sure that's...but you know that-... Yes, I understand...In the pantry?...Oh Ok. I won't over do it...Yes, I'll call back right away, OK...goodbye."

Martha came back to the dinning room, and put the phone back, along with the pen and paper. She ripped off the top piece of paper then she looked at Oz briefly. The look she was giving him made him want to look down at himself to see if there was a stain on his shirt, or ask if he had something on his face because she looked disturbed by his appearance.

She mumbled something about tea then quickly left the room and Oz continued to sit there. The only noise that was made was the ticking of the grandfather clock and his fingers tapping at the wooden table, also an occasional bump under the table whenever his leg bounced up to high.

Ten minutes passed before Martha came back into the room with a cup of tea. Oz studied her, she looked flat out guilty, but he didn't know why. He even noticed that she was standing next to him as if she was patiently waiting for something.

He looked down at the tea she brought him. It looked extremely milky and light brown, but the fragrance was wonderful. It smelled rich and velvety, but it was also something he had never smelled before. So he took a sip. Instantly, he felt the warmth expand on its way down his throat and leave a soothing trail down to his stomach. It was sweetened perfectly and he could even taste the highlights of honey as it settled lightly on his taste buds. The only thing odd about it was the fact that he couldn't place what type of tea it was.

He was surprised it tasted that good. Usually she would make it too sweet or it was too watered down, but the feeling it gave him was familiar... almost like Gilbert was in there making it instead of her.

After three minutes, his hands stopped shaking, his heartbeat was becoming regular, and his leg wasn't bouncing under the table anymore. All he felt was warm, neutralized, and calm. And after a few minutes, the strangest thing started happening; he was getting drowsy.

Tea never made him tired. Yes, it would calm him...but to make him sleepy? His eyes were beginning to roll a bit, and his body felt like it wanted to stretch out on the floor. His back swayed in the seat slightly.

" Martha...what kind of tea is this?" He asked, beginning to understand why the girl looked guilty.

" It's a Chi blend."

" What else is in it?" He asked.

" The usual." She said nervously, " Milk, honey, sugar...and a bit of Chamomile and Linden..." She said the last part fast, with an "oops" kind of look on her face.

" Chamomile and Linden...but aren't those herbs used for-"

" You look really tired Master Oz, how about I take you to your room now."

After considering it for a moment Oz nodded and tried to stand up but his balance was off. His legs almost gave out and Martha had to come next to him and hold him up, placing one of her arms under his armpit and bracing his back with it so he could use her body to lean on as they walked down the hall.

Before they got to his room, he requested to be taken to Gilbert's room instead. And when they got there she fixed the bed for him and helped him get in it.

Before she left he spoke.

" Did Gil tell you to sedate me?" He asked softly.

" Yes, he wanted you to get a good night's rest. You're not angry with me, are you?"

When the boy didn't respond Martha bit her lip, " Master?" She said, stepping closer to him. When she was next to the bed she noticed that the boy was fast asleep, he was even beginning to snore...not quietly either.

She smiled softly and watched him curl up wrapping his arms around the pillow as if it were a person. She left the room quietly and went back to the phone to call Gilbert to let him know that her mission was accomplished.

**OOO**

After Alice escaped from Sharon she found herself in front of the bathroom door because she heard the tub handles squeak shut. She was feeling mischievous, so she opened the door quietly and shut it silently behind her. She felt a shiver run up her stomach when she saw Break take off his white jacket, and hang it up on the towel rack.

She watched him take his boots off and since his back was turned to her, he didn't notice her sneaking up on him; that's exactly what she wanted.

She tip toed up to him and reached her hands out getting ready to push him in…but instead of connecting with his back her hands fell through the air making her lose her balance. She landed on his back instead; the man had slyly ducked down before she could push him in.

When she realized that she hadn't fallen in the tub she looked down at the bubbly water and she sighed with relief.

" That wouldn't have been very nice, Alice."

" So what, it would have been a great laugh. If I could only see the look on your face, Ha, I would of…Hey, what are you-DON'T!"

_**Splash!**_

Alice was in complete shock; Break had easily flipped her over his back and let her drop into the tub like ice into a cup. After the initial impact and large wave that exited the tub upon her arrival. She quickly sat up in the warm water spiting some out of her mouth and wiping her wet bangs out of her eyes as she breathed heavily and looked at him with a fiery snarl.

" You sneaky, underhanded - STOP LAUGHING!" She screamed the words out, unable to even insult him properly with him laughing the way he was.

So while his head was thrown back in amusement she shot her hands out and grabbed his shirt. The man could barely gasp before she yanked him forward with all her strength.

He lost his footing. He fell forward in the water, arms instantly going in front of him to break his fall. Water flapped out of the tub again, lowering the amount of liquid they were sitting in since half of it was on the floor. He slowly dragged himself to his knees and coughed out some of the bubbly fluid before he look at her with his wet white hair sticking to his head.

They stared at each other for a moment before the Alice gave out a harsh giggle which quickly turned into full blown fun filled laughter; and Break let out a snicker before he looked down and shook his head in defeat.

" Did you get the laugh you were looking for?" He asked.

" It would've been better if you didn't get one first…but I'm satisfied." She said haughtily as she watched the man crawl up to her.

She giggled again when he pecked her lips a few times then he sat in front of her and made a _tsk tsk_ sound that made her tilt her head slightly.

" What?" She asked flatly.

He ran his thumb over her lips and purposely smeared her pink lipstick onto her cheek.

" She made you look like a clown with all that make-up" He laughed.

She smiled and started unbuttoning her wet shirt, then tossed it onto the floor.

" At least I can wash it off...you'll stay a clown no matter what you do."

" You just love saying terrible things to me, don't you?" He said as he began to bring his arms around her back and unlatch her bra. He watched the girl bite back a wicked smile when he was able to do it quickly; she must have thought he'd struggle with it more.

" _I_ say terrible things? What about all your dumb rabbit jokes?" She said. But he was no longer paying her words attention; he was too busy looking at the round mounds before him. He softly pressed his hands against them, causing her to stifle a moan and let her eyes close when he let his palms rub against her pink nipples and harden them. The man leaned down and licked his tongue against one of the hard nubs making Alice whimper sweetly. The man nibbled and lapped at it softly, and just before Alice could get fully excited at the contact…he pulled away.

" Why'd you stop." She said with borderline anger.

" I'm not sure you deserve something like this after what you did to me." He said still rubbing the tips of her breast between his fingers. " Really…trying to push someone my age in the tub. I could have had a heart attack, or broken a hip."

" Ok then" She smirked devilishly, " If that's how you feel then I'll just start treating you like your age." She turned her back to him. " Maybe you shouldn't see me without clothes anymore…your heart might clunk out or something."

He laughed nervously, " Let's not be hasty, I never said I couldn't handle something like that." He slid closer to the girl and moved her hair onto her shoulder so her back was exposed. He heard her giggle when he ran his tongue against her shoulder then sucked it lightly. But then he noticed something.

" Alice, how did you get this bruise?" He asked as he ran his fingers over the very faded mark.

Alice thought back for a moment, remembering when the seaweed haired man grabbed her.

" I fell against the door." She said uncaringly.

Break was quite for a moment, " How long has this been going on?"

" What?" She asked feeling half conscious, since the man was massaging her lower back under the water.

" When did your body start retaining damage?"

" I don't know..."

" Did it happen when you first came from the Abyss?"

It was hard to concentrate when his soft hands were roaming everywhere, but she still tried to think. Things like that didn't really start to happen until earlier that year, along with other odd things; things that she was too embarrassed to tell Oz about. But she did tell Martha who explained something to her, and gave her stuff that she told Alice she would need again…and she did need them, every month actually.

" It didn't happen until this year... Why do you want to know?"

" I'm just curious." He said happily, continuing to smooth his hands over her back.

Break couldn't say that he wasn't fascinated. He knew Alice could eat food, cry tears, and that her body felt completely human, but the question was how human was she? He wondered if her body was beginning to stabilize in that form, especially since there were large gaps between the last time she turned into B-Rabbit.

It also made him consider the fact that, if humans could turn into chains…then why couldn't chains turn back into humans…especially if they were special cases like Alice, who functioned like a complete human anyway.

**XXX**

At six in the morning Mrs. Kate got back to the mansion. She moved through the house quietly seeing that the majority of the rooms were in order and that Martha had kept the house in good condition while she was away. She peeked into Alice's room and saw that her bed was still made...the girl must have never come home.

She frowned at the thought.

The older woman truly wanted to see her and Oz get closer, in hopes that that closeness would discourage Oz's "kissing" behavior with Gilbert. But she supposed only time would tell.

The woman moved down the hall to Oz's room only to find his bed empty and discombobulated. She assumed that he was sleeping in Gilbert's room again; she turned her nose up at the idea. She could only pray that the man wasn't in there with him.

She went further into the boy's room and decided that she mind as well make his bed since she was in there. But when she moved the covers back she gasped, dropped the blankets, and took a step back.

There were dabs of dried blood on the sheets.

She would have understood blood being there if it was Alice's bed, because that was something she came across before. But...not in Oz's room. She knew what it was, and the stains were too far down to be written off as a nose bleed.

The older woman covered her eyes with her hands and took a shaky breath. Even though she never had children of her own, Oz was the closest thing that she had to a son, and her heart just wouldn't stop aching.

She should have spoke up seventeen years ago, convinced Oscar not to take in such a strange child. They should have found another home for Gilbert or contacted the authorities before they even considered keeping him as a servant. Although, she did try to take precautions when they were children; she didn't let them bath together or sleep in the same bed. She wasn't stupid. She knew that not all play was "innocent."

Especially since Gilbert and Oz were always disturbingly close...unhealthy…and now….

The problem was that everyone thought that Gilbert was harmless because he was quiet and shy…even as an adult. But she knew it was an act that hid his true nature…people didn't warn others against "the quiet ones" for no reason.

He fooled everybody…except for her.

The woman stepped out of the room and shut the door. She wondered what lies the man told him to get Oz to do that. Even if Oz was technically an "adult" he was still young. The poor boy was probably afraid and confused. He most likely didn't even have a clue what was going on...or what Gilbert had done to his body.

The sad part was that the boy probably even thought that the man loved him or something...when it clearly had been lust since day one.

* * *

So sorry that took so long...I love reading lemons but I hate writing them, they're truly a pain in the neck. Sorry if the spelling and grammar is worst than other times, I rushed through the edit because I'm sick of looking at this chapter LOL. Next chapter is 60% done...Yes, I def. skipped ahead in the middle of this one, I'm sooo excited about the next chapter that it's ridiculous. It should definitely be out quicker than this one since it's half way done :)

Thanks for reading and many apologies if the lemon sucked..:(

-Rage

**SnowBlade32**: I would love to read your story, your pairings look very interesting...this is exciting! let me know when your going to post.

Thanks!


	8. Breaking Bread and Wine

Hi :)

* * *

**XXX Breaking Bread and Wine XXX**

Nobody knocked on the door to wake him, Oz simply woke up on his own. He rose from Gilbert's bed and looked at the clock on the table; it was eight in the morning. He actually felt refreshed, but his body was still sore from the day before. The thought of what they did sent a shiver through him, and he took a deep breath before he got up.

He left Gilbert's room and walked toward the kitchen, but on his way there he heard someone talking on the phone in the dinning room.

"…Even if he was awake, I wouldn't let you speak to him." Mrs. Kate said with a poisonous voice before she slammed the phone down.

Oz stood in the doorway and watched the woman sigh to herself.

"Was that, Gil?" Oz said finally, startling the woman, "...Why did you hang up on him?"

"Master Oz, I-"

Oz walked next to her and picked up the phone, he dialed the number to the Nightray house and listened to it ring. Then a somber voice answered.

"(sigh) Hello?"

"Gil, did you just call?" Oz asked, looking over at the woman that was now looking slightly fearful; since Oz was giving her a look that said, _you're gonna get it if he says "yes"_.

"Yeah..I called to check on you, but…"

"Oh," Oz said, trying to stop himself from glaring at Mrs. Kate, "Hey, can you hold on for a second?"

"Sure."

Oz pressed the phone into his chest so Gilbert couldn't hear his next words. His calm demeanor quickly shifted to a rattled an irritated disposition, and he placed his critical eyes on the older woman before him.

"I don't know what you have against Gil, but the next time he calls, don't hang up on him."

"I apologize, Master. It's just that-"

"I don't need to hear apologies or excuses, just don't do it anymore," he said with soft sternness as he looked away from her.

"…Yes, I understand," she said in a sad tone.

Oz put the phone back to his ear, "I'm back!" He said happily to the male on the other line.

Mrs. Kate stood there for a few seconds and observed Oz on the phone. Then she walked out of the room and listened in from behind the wall. He sounded so happy standing there listening to the deceitful man talk lies into his ear.

"_So, are you excited to see me tonight? …haha, I knew it…um hum, I won't do it until this evening…yeah, if you get there before me wait near the ballroom entrance, so I can find you…Well, it's better if she doesn't come home anyway, because we have plans tonight, remember?… What's wrong? Gil, I can hear you blushing through the phone… hahaha, Yes you are…"_

She shook her head. She knew no one was on her side, but no matter what, she needed to get rid of Gilbert. Oz would be better off without the man's corruption. And even if she had no allies she could still _pretend_ that she did….Gilbert wouldn't dare try to figure out if she was bluffing or not.

Yes…that might just work.

**OOO**

"_Oww!_ Stop pulling so hard!"

"I'm sorry Alice, but the curlers have to be tight, or they'll fall out."

"Let me just wear it down." The girl pleaded…harshly.

"I promise you're almost done. And when you're finished I'll style it and you'll be ready to get dressed. You'll look _sooo_ pretty, " Sharon said with admiration.

Alice closed her eyes to get rid of the frustration. Sharon had woke her up at _seven _in the morning and feed her a very "light" breakfast made up of a half of grapefruit, and un-buttered toast; saying that Alice would need to be able to fit into her dress that day. Alice practically starved to death in the tepid milk bath that Sharon made her soak in for three hours.

But luckily, Break had snuck in the bathroom and brought her a hefty lunch with lots of meat options and feed her some sweet red grapes, as though she were a queen. He told her that he knew Sharon was going to the extreme, so he took it upon himself to lessen the agony.

That was the last time she saw the man. She knew he was busy running around and setting up the house with the other servants.

But she still longed for his company.

It was two in the afternoon and up until that point Alice got her skin scrubbed with harsh soap, and her hair washed roughly with fragrant shampoo. After that, Sharon massaged her scalp with a small amount of thick light yellow liquid that Alice swore she saw people cooking with. It made her hair shiny and soft, and as soon as she was done with that Sharon did a rush review of most of the things they went over the week before; like forks and knives, curtsies, manners, wine, and light laughter verses heavy laughter.

At that point, Alice didn't have the heart to tell Sharon that her goal to get Oz to fall for her had long been abandoned. She knew Sharon spent a lot of her time helping her become a lady for that sole purpose. Although, Alice did learn a lot so it wasn't a complete waste. But eventually she would have to tell Sharon the truth, because there was new love on the horizon of her heart, and his name didn't begin with the letter _O_.

**XXX**

"What do you mean you're going? Aren't you still sick?" Gilbert said, trying hard to understand why his brother would be so stupid.

Vincent smiled at him, then opened up his wooden wardrobe closet, standing in front of it and scanning the items, "Humm…do you think I should wear the cream undershirt or the white one?"

"Are you even listening to me?" Gilbert said with frustration in his voice.

Vincent let out a light laugh, "You're so cute when you worry about me (sigh) But I have to go…what will Pandora think if I don't show up?" Vincent's tone was chirpy; it was obvious that he was just using that as an excuse.

"They'll think you're sick in bed, where you're supposed to be," the raven retorted.

"I think the cream one brings out my eyes more. Oh… were you saying something?" he turned his eyes back on the raven.

Gilbert rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air, heading toward the door, "Do what you want, (huff) I'm going to get dressed."

"Alright," Vincent said happily, when he saw Gilbert open the door he stopped him.

"Brother…You never told me how it went yesterday," he gave a curly smile.

Gilbert forced his features to stay indifferent; he had been prepared for that question. He dug his hand in his jacket pocket, "Nothing happened," he lied, throwing the unused lubricant on the bed to help prove his case.

"…how unfortunate," Vincent said, even though the smile was still on his face. For some reason, Gilbert didn't think the man believed him…even with the evidence.

"It's not unfortunate; I had no intention on doing _that _anyway," he said.

Vincent raised a brow, "Then what did you do?" he pressed.

Gilbert wanted to kick himself for hesitating, "…We had lunch."

"…For five hours?"

"We went in town to eat." Gilbert's comeback was quicker that time.

Vincent shook his head and looked back into his wardrobe, "Um hum, if you say so…." he said with a sigh, causing Gilbert to mumble something and leave the room.

**XOXOXO- That night.**

It was still early, only a few people had shone up to the ball so far. There was at least twenty people mingling together in the main hall and Break continued to watch Miss Sharon greet each guest accordingly. Sharon looked graceful and poised in her light pink gown, and matching gloves. As usual, she sparkled and shimmered with her sweet smile winning over every guest regardless of gender. She was raised well, perfect manners, perfect laugh, and perfect posture...the man who would finally take her hand in marriage was certainly a fortunate soul.

And by the look of it, a young gentlemen named Chad Windsor, was probably the one who would do so. Every party they had thrown he was there attempting to flirt with Sharon and it was evident that she liked him as well. He was an established fellow who inherited his late father's estates, then capitalized on his father's existing textile businesses by doing trade with numerous fabric industries across Europe and some of Asia. He was handsome, reserved, and respectful.

Break approved of him.

Since the ball hadn't officially started, everyone was in the main entrance hall waiting for the hour to strike before they could go into the ballroom. Break watched some of the servants walk around and offer people drinks on the round silver platters positioned carefully in one hand. Some guest laughed loudly, and others talked quietly about things that didn't matter; like who was seen doing what with who, and how such and such really does this or that on the weekend. Break had also did his share of pre-party mingling, helping shy guest get comfortable by breaking the ice and lifting their anxiety with small jokes and politely complements.

Currently, Break was standing at the refreshment table wearing a black tux that had a long jacket with two fabric tails in the back, and a mauve colored ascot was tucked his bright white undershirt; he most definitely broke the black tie rule, but he didn't care. His white gloved hands choked his wine glass as he sipped some of the red liquid. And when he lowered his glass his stare got caught on someone.

Alice.

He hadn't seen the girl for at least six hours…and now he couldn't take his eyes away. He had to hand it to Sharon, she did an excellent job helping Alice get ready. Of course the girl was naturally radiant no matter what she was wearing, especially when she was wearing Break's favorite; nothing at all.

But she looked very dazzling with her long hair half pinned up in loses curls that cascaded down her bear shoulders then merged with the silky hair that was left out. Her deep purple dress made her skin glow warmly and her white gloves hugged her thin arms all the way to her elbows. When the girl finally locked eyes with him, she smirked seductively, causing Break to do the same. He took another sip of his drink so he could hide the naughty smile he had.

Over the rim of his glass he could see the girl turn her back as if she were going to walk down the empty hall from which she just emerged, but before she did, she touched the wall and looked back at him; beckoning him with a slight head tilt so that he could follow.

Then she disappeared.

Break chuckled lightly to himself. The girls sex appeal was phenomenal, and she was honestly keeping him young and on his toes. He feared that if she continued to catch him off guard that he would be forced to put out extra work in order to keep up with her spontaneous nature. He knew all of the flirting and kissing they had done was going to spark something in her, and it just so happen to spark her cocky side making her think that Break couldn't handle her fresh stamina. But now it was like they were competing to see who could last the longest. She was wrong if she thought she had more drive then he did…especially since she had SO much more to learn.

His red eye scanned the crowd before he cleared his throat lightly. He walked across the entrance hall and placed his empty glass on a table before following after the girl.

**XXX**

They were running late.

Oz got into the carriage with his uncle. They were both dressed in their best suits, looking like charming fellows of the highest class. Oz dressed in a simple black tux and wore a silk black tie. Solid gold cuff links adorned his wrist and a single red carnation was pinned neatly to his chest. He sat across from his uncle; hiding the fact that his chilly chest ached horribly. His mouth was dry, so he licked his lips with his tongue and tried to appear normal even though his mind was blanking out.

He made a big mistake that day; he went into Alice's room. He didn't know why he went in there but the nagging urge carried his feet into the quiet room. Ever since then he was suffering the repercussions. It must have been one o'clock when he stood in the untouched room, looking over the mountains of unpacked bags and boxes that contained items he must have bought for her…even though he could only slightly recall doing so.

He had looked through some of it and stumbled across a bag that had a wooded box in it. It was as small box that one could make a music box out of. There was also some paint gloss that could be used to make the wood shine. That's where his memory faded. All he was able to recall after that was being startled to see that the box was drying in the window. The sight had made him run from the room and check the time; it was two thirty by then.

A whole hour and a half of his actions were forgotten and undocumented in his memory, and all he had to show for it was a painted box that didn't play music.

His uncle was speaking to him and Oz could barely make out the words, and reading the man's lips didn't help. So he nodded and hoped that the motion was neutral enough to appease a question or acknowledge the man's statement, whichever it was. When he saw his uncle smile and look out the carriage window, Oz took the time to close his heavy lids. The cold feeling was nothing new, but then again it was a lot more intense then previous times, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He breathed an inaudible sigh and his tongue moved in his mouth with a whisper of one name…_Alice._

**OOO**

What a surprising sight it was...a surprising sight indeed.

A pretty female chain was sitting on the edge of a shiny oak desk in a private backroom, with a legendary murderer standing neatly between her legs. The man was kissing her wildly like the world was destined to end by midnight. It was a vivid show, one where the Hatter whispered something to the chain and she laughed, saying "Stop complaining. If you miss them so much…then kiss them," she slowly lifted up her dress so her luscious legs were showing. The man smiled and lean in for a kiss, but when she gave a sharp _Oww_ it was obvious that he used his teeth to discipline her sassy mouth with a quick nip.

The Hatter moved back in the nick of time, barely dodging the chains oncoming slap. Then he swiftly leaned down and grabbed the girl's ankles, pulling them up and causing her back to fall against the desk; laying there like a harlot with her bare legs held high up in the air. Strangely enough, her back arched in cute pleasure when he nibbled at her ankle, making her whimper meekly like she wasn't on the verge of hitting him.

How odd it was. They were easily able to transition from passionate kissing to amusement, then to semi violent before they dived into pleasurable teasing…and they did it in under a minute.

Who would have guessed such a thing could occur between polar opposites. Then again, maybe they were more similar than people gave them credit for. They were both illegal and they were both living way passed the time they should have been. Not to forget how dangerous they both were.

They also both had secrets that were scattered in places that normal people wouldn't dare to look. And now here was another one...and they were clever about this new secret because no one would ever suspect it. Even if it became a rumor people would deny it, saying, "_Xerxes Break? You must have the wrong person; he's a highly regarded member of Pandora and a hardhearted investigator who would never get involved with the epitome of his research." _But there he was. The man couldn't have gotten any closer to the Will of the Abyss if he tried...he was kissing the essence of it.

It was strange...very strange; but still exciting all at once. The red head shut the door quietly and walked down the hall with his white wine in his hand. He was right to trust his instincts and follow the sinful man. He was also proud to know that he was once again ahead of everyone else with the knowledge of current events. He was dying to see how the whole thing played out. He knew he might just get something great out of it...maybe the promotion he had his eye on.

**OOO**

After Alice and Break crept back, they separated and mixed in with the party that was now lively and taking place in the ball room. The violins played, people danced, and other talked or swayed gently to the tune.

Between mingling and his job to put the word in Mr. Harpsfield's ear about how they had " merchandise" that they would be selling later that night, and how all the gentlemen who were interested in " rare and exotic findings" were welcome to join the auction upstairs. The man was more than interested, especially when Break confirmed that the merchandise would be human…females. Break wasn't proud of himself for saying such things, but that's what the man was in to. There was no other way get him upstairs.

Break watched Alice stand near the refreshment table. He laughed lightly when he saw the girl looking around to make sure no one was watching while she snuck Bratwurst into her mouth and shoved some into a napkin for later.

The amusement in his eyes faded when he saw Mr. Harpsfield walk up to her and say something that Break would have never heard over the violins playing in the room. His first thought was to go up to the man and explain that Alice was _not_ part of the "merchandise selection" so he would need to look else where for a potential roll in the sack. But he tried to focus on just observing instead.

He could tell that Alice was annoyed. Mrs. Sharon almost pleaded with the girl to dance with any man who asked her so she could blend in with the party. And she especially didn't want Alice to turn away Mr. Harpsfield out of fear that he would leave before their planned interrogation.

He watched the girl roll her eyes, swallow down her food, and shove her hand in his, before she reluctantly abandoned her sausage filled napkin and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. They assumed the proper position, and then waited for the melody to come back around before Mr. Harpsfield started to move his large left foot back…

But Alice didn't follow.

Break's eyes widened at the sight, every time the man tried to move with her Alice just couldn't follow properly. She was tripping over his feet and she fell into his wide chest several times. The man looked irritated, scratching his balding head a few times as people were beginning to turn around and watch the commotion. Break could see that Alice was completely embarrassed. He knew that because she didn't even bother making smart comments to the people who were whispering and gawking at her.

Break quickly walked over to the scene and stood beside the messy pair.

"Mr. Harpsfield, would you mind if I cut in?"

"Please do," the man said with a disgusted cackle, happy to hand the clumsy girl over.

The man backed away from Alice and gave her a quick bow before he stepped aside and let Break take his place. Alice looked lost and nervous, like she couldn't believe what was happening, but Break still took her hand and placed his other hand on her back. She whispered to him that she didn't want to dance, but when Break refused to let her go she unwillingly put her hand on his shoulder. They stood still and looked at each other, and he could feel the tension in her body dissipate immediately. Break purposely didn't warn the girl before he moved his left foot back; making sure he didn't break their eye contact.

"I wonder what it was about him that made you freeze up," he said with a playful tone.

"I didn't freeze up, I can't remember the steps."

"You forgot what I taught you?" he raised a brow.

"I just said that!" She said defensively before looking at some of the people around them. Some of the guests were still looking at her...but for some reason they just looked confused. She sighed, "I wasn't cut out for this stuff... " She said sadly.

"Even though you say that, you're actions speak otherwise," he said with a smile.

"I don't need your fake flattery. You saw what happened…" she said with a bit of shame.

"Yes…but what is it you're doing right now?"

Alice's looked at him with confusion before she looked down and watched her feet falling in perfect sync with his. She gasped and looked back up. She had been dancing with him flawlessly the whole time, and she didn't even realize it until then.

"What…" her mind was racing, "Is this some kind of trick?"

"Why would I waste my power on something you already know how to do?"

She searched his eyes to see if he was lying, but there was no deceit in the red orb.

"You were thinking too hard before. If anyone else approaches you to dance, just relax." He said with a lazy tone.

She turned her head away from him in defiance, "You're planning to let any old scumbag cut in?" she asked with disgust.

He laughed, "Out of courtesy I must, but you could always reject them. Unless you don't mind dancing with scumbags…"

She looked back at him and smirked with evil lacing her lips, "I'm dancing with one right now," Break rolled his eyes and sighed, he walked right into that one, "I seriously need to tame that spiteful mouth of yours…?" he said, separating from her and giving her an elegant twirl.

She giggled and when their bodies came back together, she felt her lips whispered a quick "thanks" to him before she blushed. After all, he did save her from the worst embarrassment she would have ever experienced. When she looked back at him, she felt her heart rolling around in her rib cage. She could see in his face that his features had softened considerably, and he was looking at her like she was the only person worth his time and energy.

The look he was giving her…it was so….

She found herself blushing again.

As they danced they got admired from many of the guest. But Break and Alice didn't even notice their eyes on them, nor the quick change of attitude since Alice proved that she was in fact a lovely dancer. But it wasn't about anyone else; it was about them, as they stole people's attention with their seamless moves and synchronized steps.

**XXX**

Where in the world was Oz.

That's all the raven could think about as he stood bored against the wall; exactly where Oz had told him to wait. He scanned each person that walked by him. He knew he should have been sick of his brother by that point, but he still found himself standing next to him and other Nightrays. He looked over to the right only to find five women huddled around his brother like devoted worshipers serving their god. He had the urge to walk over and tell them that the blond haired man was still contagious and that all of them would most likely come down with something awful...but they probably wouldn't care anyway.

It was easy to tell which ones Vincent already took to bed because he easily pushed them aside and traded them for the fresh timid ones who were on the menu for the night.

Disgust.

Women looked at Gilbert too, batting their long lashes, and trying to rub his arm while they started stupid conversation. But he just ignored them until they gave up and walked away with their snide remarks and catty attitude's.

Maybe that's why woman didn't interest him...the ones he observed were _very_ catlike. He hated the way they swayed their hips like tails, and rubbed against the people of their choice, or let people like Vincent rub on them. And god forbid they suddenly decided they didn't like the attention, they would lash out with their long claw like nails and smack you viciously, or let out a hissing insult before running away. Oh, and the annoying amount of time they spent grooming themselves...brushing their hair all day and such.

Gilbert shook his head at the troublesome thoughts, and instead thought about what made Oz so appealing. Yes, Oz was _all boy _and plenty of it. However, he did possess some positive "female-like" traits that luckily didn't come with all the other bull shit. Like his small body, soft facial features and his large pretty green eyes, and his fluffy blond hair...all that was little to no maintenance.

For example, if he wanted to take Oz out, there was no ridiculous wait time or "fashionable lateness"; it was just get up and go. It was wonderful. But what made Oz really special, was the fact that he was full of life, amazing energy, and an absolute blast to be with.

That's why Gilbert waited against the wall patiently. But as soon as the thought entered his mind he saw the boy hurry past him with a determined look on his face.

" Oz," Gilbert called the boy loud enough for Oz to hear it, but when Oz looked back at him he saw that the boy's eyes were blank. There was no smile on his lips, no love in his eyes, also, there was no further movements indicating that he would walk over and greet him.

Gilbert wasn't expecting Oz to run up and kiss him, but he also wasn't expecting the boy to look at him as if he were a stranger. He was giving Gilbert a look that _said " Umm…who are you again? Oh, wait, I don't care."_

Gilbert knew he didn't look unrecognizable; the only difference was that some of his hair was tied back, and he was dressed up...but Oz had seen him like that at other functions. Finally, Oz gave him a halfhearted wave before he set off.

Gilbert was crushed.

The boy barely acknowledged him; he didn't even use his voice to say "hi". Gilbert settled back against the wall. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, trying to hide his sadness in a cloud of white smoke. His eyes flickered back to Oz, seeing the boy ask Break to move aside so he could dance with Alice instead.

Surprisingly, Alice looked disappointed when Break bowed and kissed her hand, letting Oz take over. Wait- Break and Alice...dancing? What the hell was that? Gilbert was totally confused, not knowing when those two had gotten so close...so quick even. It was weird.

When a servant walked by, Gilbert helped himself to a drink of wine and took it off the round platter. He sipped it as he watched. He saw Break and Oz exchanging a few words and Oz looked annoyed, completely ignoring the white haired man as he took Alice's hand confidently and began to dance with her. Gilbert studied Break, the man was trying hard to hide it, but he looked like Oz just ruined his night.

Throughout all that, Gilbert didn't even sense his brother leaning over to whisper in his ear.

"Hey, great job doing _that_, he can barely hide that limp."

"_**Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" **_All the wine in Gilbert's mouth squirted out in a straight line, and hit the chest of a woman passing by him. She almost screamed.

"How disgusting! Look at what you did to my dress!" she yelped.

"I-I'm sorry, here, let me," he quickly took a handkerchief from his pocket and tried to wipe it off of her, but she smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me! _Pervert,_" she said bitterly before she turned to leave.

Gilbert's hand went to his mouth; he sighed and used the cloth to wipe the wine away from his lips. He finally slid his eyes at Vincent, the man tried to look innocent but Gilbert could see how amused he was.

When Gilbert looked back toward the dance floor he saw Break approaching him.

"Good evening, Gilbert….don't you look dashing tonight," the mad man complimented happily.

"...Thanks," Gilbert's tone was flat, and tossed back some more of his red wine. The glass couldn't even leave his lips fully before Break took the glass from him; smiling at him with his eyes closed as he waved a disappointed finger in his face.

"No drinks for you. It wouldn't be fun to have a foolish drunk ruining the party."

Gilbert frowned, "I know when to stop drinking."

Break almost laughed, "Do you? The last time you said that you punched someone's teeth out when he asked you for the time."

Gilbert crossed his arms defensively and looked away, "...That was three years ago."

"That doesn't mean you've become more tolerant to alcohol..."

Gilbert just ignored the man and turned his eyes back on Oz; he was still dancing with her.

"Jealous?" Break asked with a smile in his voice.

Gilbert cut his golden eyes at the man, "Are you?" he said knowingly, before snatching his wine glass back and walking away.

**OOO**

Break watch Oz slyly take Alice off the dance floor and over to the refreshment table. As they stood there he could see Oz trying to talk to her, but Alice's eyes were shifting all over the room, as if she was looking for someone. It took Oz to offer her a drink for the girl to finally acknowledge him again, but even then her eyes were floating. He wondered if the girl was looking for him.

Even though he wanted to, he knew he couldn't be glued to her all night since he was "on duty" and also the only person doing damage control. There was also the fact that neither of them had told the truth yet...the truth about their relationship that is.

Even though they never talked about it, they were both naturally secretive about what they had. Technically, it wasn't anyone's business and Break could care less if people knew, he wasn't ashamed of being with Alice by any means; although, if Pandora found out there would be repercussions. For one, he could lose his job for getting involved with what they considered a "research subject." And people would ask too many questions and try to pull answers out of him about Alice; since Pandora was highly intrigued by her and her connection with 100 years ago.

What was even worst was that someone might just use Alice as a way to deter the rest of his research, like the time Vincent poisoned Miss Sharon. Honestly, the girl might be in danger if someone found out too soon.

But he didn't want to hide it forever….not at all.

"Cute chain, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Regnard?" Rufus said casually, startling Break from his thoughts.

Break ignored the man for three reasons. One, he didn't like Rufus. Two, if he said yes to the comment it was a dead give away, and three, if he said no...well, that would be a flat out lie.

"Her body blossomed very nicely since the last time I saw her," the red head sipped his white wine and leaned toward Break's ear, but he didn't turn to fully face him. "I wonder what it looks like under that dress. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

Break almost coughed up a lung. If Rufus was suggesting what Break thought he was, then that meant he was spotted kissing Alice that night. Break thought quickly, and decided to set up his own verbal trap and willingly fall into in, knowing it was the only way to find out.

"You should be careful with that loose tongue, it could get you tied up in a lot of trouble," he smiled slyly and waited for the comeback that would reveal everything.

"And what has _your_ tongue been tied up with lately?" Rufus laughed darkly, and slowly twirled his long red hair with his finger tips, "I can tell you this though, my tongue can keep secrets...but at a price of course."

"(sigh)What kind of price?" Break said reluctantly, still looking at Alice instead of the man beside him.

"Do you really have to ask? Let's meet on the balcony to discuss this."

The man turned to leave but Break stayed in his spot. The mad man placed his hand over his face and took a deep breath. Out of all people he was hoping that Rufus wouldn't be the first to know. The situation was bad, but it would have been worst if the man broadcast it. As long as Break played his cards right he could avoid an absolute disaster...and secure Alice's safety. Although, he didn't know if he would still have a job at the end of it all.

Break straightened himself out and took one last look at Alice and Oz before he left the ballroom and went to the balcony.

**XXX**

Oz sat with Alice on the lounge chair, he watched her take a few large gulps of the rose wine he gave her. It angered him that her eyes settled on everything _except_ for him. He could tell she was unsettled, so he tried to ease her into comfort.

"You dance really well, Alice," Oz said nicely.

"…thanks…" she said, looking at him before turning her eyes on the dancers.

Oz sighed, if he was going to get anywhere with the girl that night then he mine as well go straight to the point.

"Alice, about the other day…I-"

"I don't want to talk about that," she took another sip of her drink.

"At least let me apologize."

She looked back at him and waited for him to continue.

Oz forced his eyes to soften and looked at her, "I know I did something's that really hurt your feelings, and I'm sorry. Saying that won't make up for the music box, or what happened in the kitchen, but…" he looked away to make his "regret" look more real.

She gave a frustrated sigh, "Just tell me if you're back to normal."

He turned his eyes back on her, "Yeah…I'm doing a lot better now."

She frowned, "We are friends…right?"

"Friends..." he said as though he didn't know what that meant. The word "friend" was throwing him off. The girl belong to him, they weren't just friends…especially by the end of that night.

"What kind of question is that, of course we are," he mentally threatened his lips and forced out the right smile.

"So you're not lying to me…?" her tone was naturally suspicious.

He turned his body and faced her fully, and then he grabbed her hand and held it, looking down at their tangled fingers.

"Trust me; I wouldn't lie to you about something like that. I am back to normal now…I think I just needed some time by myself," he looked up at her. "Are you still angry with me?" he asked sadly.

She looked to the side, "Not really…" After a moment of verbal silence, she let go of his hand and stood up, "I'm going to check on Break,"

Oz was stunned that the girl openly said his name, no longer trying to hide it.

"Wait," he said, causing her to look back at him, "Would it be selfish for me to ask, if we can enjoy one more drink together, before you leave," he asked innocently.

She sighed and grudgingly sat back down. Then Oz set to work on finding a servant… with more wine.

**OOO**

When Break got to the balcony, he found it empty, save for Rufus who was looking up at the misty full yellow moon; the same moon that was currently being suffocated by hot and heavy rain clouds. He walked up to the edge of the balcony and leaned over it, waiting for the man to talk.

"Don't you find it fascinating that she experienced _growth_, like a real person?" the red head looked over at Break, but Break looked back at him with annoyance.

"You were so blunt earlier. Have you finally leaned to be tactful with your speech?"

"If you want me to be blunt then I can," he smiled "So, how did it happen?"

Break rolled his eyes and lean his body over the balcony so that his stomach rested against the top railing and one of his propped arms supported his chin.

"I don't know..." he said wearily.

"If you're reaping the benefits of it then you must know something. I'm assuming you were smart enough to draw her in before you examined her."

Break slid his red eye over to the man, "That's inhumane. I would gain nothing from deceiving her like that."

Rufus let out an empty laugh, "First of all, she isn't human anyway, so you would have nothing to worry about. Secondly, are you admitting that you turned over a new leaf?"

"..." Break brought his attention back to the dark lawn below them.

"So… even heartless criminals can feel love. That's interesting."

Break finally stood up, "If you're finished insulting me, I'd like to get back inside. I do have work to do," Break said cheerfully, wondering why they had to invite the nosy man in the first place.

"That's fine, but the only thing I want to know is what you think the cause is?"

When Break didn't entertain his question Rufus stepped closer.

"It's not like you'll be betraying her if you give me your professional opinion."

"I don't have an opinion," he said flatly "It's just as you stated earlier, for some unknown reason her human form is adjusting to this world. I don't know enough about the abyss to try to explain it."

Rufus placed his hand loosely on his chin, turning his attention to the gasping yellow moon.

"Wouldn't that also mean it would be difficult for her to turn back into B-rabbit?"

His words startled Break. It was like Rufus was asking whether or not a snake was still dangerous if you took the venom out of it, "Why is this of interest to you?" he asked tentatively.

Rufus looked over and smirked at him, "Are you really in a position to be asking me that? You know very well that this thing you have going on could cost you your job...and your reputation."

Break kept his features indifferent, as the man continued to underhandedly threaten him.

"It would be a shame for you to lose access to all that precious information that you worked so hard to collect…and to lose it over something like-"

"I rather risk that than have Pandora poking at Alice like an experiment" Break turned on his heels and headed to the door, "Whatever your motive is you need to lose it quickly Rufus...I wouldn't want to end up in battle with a colleague," he said as a warning.

"Neither would I Mr. Hatter, you'd be a hard foe to beat," Rufus said calmly. As Break continued to walk away he heard the man speak, "Don't worry, my mouth is sealed...and Good luck tonight, if this turns out to be a success I heard that you'd be up for a promotion….head of the research department, actually."

Break looked back at him and gave him a threatening stare before he left.

**OOO**

At first glance the sight would have made his heart twist out of place and slide all the way down to the bottom of his right foot. But the harder he looked the more the picture was becoming clear, and Break was able to quickly understand what was going on.

Alice wasn't two timing him...Alice was drunk.

But it was the silent kind of drunk which made it even more alarming. To an outsider, it appeared like her and Oz were a happy couple sitting down innocently on the lounge chair holding hands. But the girl's eyes were heavy, and she looked like she was too drunk to stand up.

And Oz seemed very happy about that.

The blond boy let her lean against him to help throw off anyone who might question why she couldn't sit up straight. What made it even more insulting was when Break saw Oz get up. He propped the girl against the wall so she wouldn't fall over while he was gone. Then he walked over to the refreshment table. Break's brow scrunched in anger when he saw the boy pouring two more _tall_ glasses of rose wine.

Break walked over there.

"She's had quite enough for one night, don't you think?" The man said as he swiftly swiped the wine glass out of the boy's hand, reaching for the other glass that Oz had for himself; but the boy moved his hand hastily away from the man. Oz looked back at Alice who was "appearing" to watch some of the couples dance, and then he turned to Break with a smirk.

"Alice is holding her drinks just fine," the boy smiled and took a sip of the drink in his hand "She's actually the one who sent me over here to get us more; I don't see why she shouldn't have it."

"If she's thirsty, then she can have punch," Break said sternly while he filled up a glass, "…There's plenty of it," he tried to hand the juice to him. Oz looked down at the glass but decided not to take it. Instead, he walked further down the tabled and looked in the fruit bowl. Break followed.

"We're about to start the interrogation, I think you should join us since this does involve you as well" Break said. His real goal was to get the boy away from Alice.

Still looking down, the blond laughed softly, "You're right, it does involve me." He plucked a strawberry out of the large fruit bowl before looking up at Break dangerously, "... But what do you think Gilbert's here for?" After the harsh words hit Break the boy let his arrogant smile come back onto his lips before popping the strawberry into his mouth and turning away.

But then he stopped and looked back at the man "You know, Break...all that jealousy doesn't look good on you. You should really stick to minding your own business," he said, smiling cutely and walking away.

Break had the strongest urge to walk over there and strangle the little brat. Yes, the boy had gotten far worst not to mention overly confident and spiteful. Oh, and what he said about Gilbert...Break felt hurt _for _the man. He was glad Gilbert didn't hear the blond say that, it would have torn his Oz filled soul out.

He saw the boy stand next to Alice, snap his finger at a servant that was serving drinks, then he took a glass off the tray before he slipped some money into the man's front pocket.

Break hadn't been that angry in a long time, and as his feet carried him over to the pair he was interrupted when he heard a large crash and glass breaking near the front of the room, and someone yelling.

_God…Please don't let that be-_

"Gilbert, are you alright," Someone said loudly.

_Damn him…_

Break took one more look at Oz and Alice before he rushed through the crowd. He was glad that he saw Liam. He quickly told the man to keep an eye on Oz and stop him from filling Alice with drinks and the man agreed. Break rushed over to the scene in the front of the room and watched people gather around as they watched two men try to help Gilbert up. The man even broke a small side table he fell on.

"Let go of *hic* me!" Gilbert said through hiccups and slurred speech.

Break walked up to the man, "You're such a mess," he said calmly as he took Gilbert from the two men and let the raven lean on him, "I'll take over from here," Break assured the helpful gentlemen.

"Is he alright?" one man asked, trying to make sure Break was able to steady Gilbert on his own.

"He's just fine. Let's go, Gilbert," Break had to practically drag the man out of the ball room. He could hear Sharon telling some of the servants to clean up the mess, and also telling the guest to resume their affairs.

Break walked sloppy with the man down the hallway, stopping several times to adjust the drunken man.

"Where *hic* are we?" Gilbert asked.

Break ignored him. He was far too frustrated to have a pointless conversation.

"Break... I havfta tell yah something."

"Not now," Break said, opening the bathroom door and stumbled in the room with the man. When he let Gilbert go the man took too many steps back and Break couldn't catch him in time; the raven fell back into the empty tub.

After the surprised left his yellow eyes, Gilbert's unsteady gaze looked at Break, "You *hic* you pushed me!" he said pointing a blaming finger.

"No." Break said, "You fell because you're a useless, irresponsible lush. Now get up."

"*Hic* I can't…"

Break sighed; the man didn't even try to get up. He watched the raven sit sloppily in the tub with his legs hanging over the side. He would have laughed but the humor just wouldn't come to him. He stood there and thought for a minute...the only way to speed up Gilbert's sobering was get some of the alcohol out of his system...and it wasn't going to be pleasant. He wished he could just leave the man there, but he was going to need him when it was time to question Mr. Harpsfield.

Break walked over and held his hand out for Gilbert to take, and after a minute Gilbert did so. Break help lift the man out of the tub and when they were face to face the raven griped the front of Break shirt, trying to get his glazed eyes to stay focused.

"Listen to me...you bastard...It's *hic* important."

"What is it?" Break asked with boredom.

"*hic* Me and Oz… Oz and me...We...Oz and Us. Yesterday. We did it..." he said, falling to the ground sloppily.

"What are you talking about," Break tried to lift him again, but the man wasn't cooperating.

"_It!_..you know..we made..we had love, I mean…*hic* We made sex…"He scratched the back of his head, something must have told him that the words weren't in the right order.

Break rolled his eyes to the ceiling, "Gilbert, I didn't need to know that. Now will you please stand up" Break didn't even know how to feel about what Gilbert revealed, but he was too focused on getting him into a standing position to care.

"Ok...but...let me finish..."

"Please don't," Break said wearily.

Gilbert grabbed the man's jacket again, and looked up at him, "It felt good..."

"(sigh) I'm sure it did...stand up straight," Break finally got the man to his feet.

"And today...today *hic* tonight he won't even look at me...he hates meee..." Gilbert said through heavy tears, throwing his sloppy arms around Break seeking comfort. Break rolled his eyes again and unwillingly gave the man's back a lackadaisical pat of support.

"Your blubbering is very unbecoming…"

"I know, but (sniffle) Do you think he hates me….because I did sex to him *hic*?"

Break finally let out a small laugh at the man's question.

"...I don't think that's the reason."

"O-Oh." Gilbert said acceptingly, then backed away from Break on wobbly legs.

"Do you feel better now?" the mad man asked.

He nodded childishly, "Yes, sir," he said like a kid, rubbing his tear filled eyes.

"Good." With that, Break placed one of his hands on Gilbert's shoulder then used his other hand to send a hard punch to the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Gilbert gasped hard and doubled over in pain and he finally placed his hands over his mouth and his cheeks puffed out with a gag; eyes beginning to water. Break spun him around, opened the toilet lid, and forced Gilbert to his knees.

The white haired man turned his head in disgust when the man started hurling up his stomach contents, and for five minutes Gilbert threw up in the toilet until there was nothing left in him. He sat on the floor for a few minutes, and wiped his face with the back of his hand. Then Break helped him to the sink where Gilbert rinsed his mouth.

Break was happy that the man seemed a little bit more balanced. He figured that a good half an hour of rest would be enough to get Gilbert back on his feet. Right before he opened the door, there was a knock on it.

"Break? Are you in there?" Miss Sharon called.

Break opened the door and walked out with Gilbert leaning on him.

"Is he alright now?" She said, looking over the man who looked half asleep.

"I'm bringing him to the room upstairs, he should be fine in a half an hour or so."

The young woman nodded and watched her servant warily bring the man down the hall.

* * *

Ok, so the rest of this chapter will be out in another day, it's basically done, but editing takes soooooo long when it's a long chapter. That's why I broke it up. So hang tight for another 24 hours. Ummm…was that all I had to say? I think so. Oh yeah, I know I was slacking on my review responses…don't worry I haven't forgotten about all you awesome reviewers BIG THANKS as always. ( It keeps me going). Talk to you guys soon.

-Rage


	9. Breaking Bread and Wine II

**Important: Don't worry about an occurrence in this chapter...if there was a rating I would have told you a long long time ago...you'll know what I mean when you read it.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Pandora Hearts

**

* * *

**

**XXX Breaking Bread and Wine II XXX**

Oz was annoyed when people walked pass him and stopped to ask questions about Alice. Liam had come and told him to stop giving her drinks, and he almost laughed at the man. He gave him a simple explanation about Alice simply not feeling well, and sent the man away.

At some point even his uncle had walked by and asked if she was drunk, and Oz had to lie. Sharon had floated by numerous times and tried to talk to the girl, but Oz did the talking for her. And when people he knew commented on how cute they looked together...he nodded and smiled (knowing it was only too true).

"I've never seen her so quiet before. Are you tired Alice?" Leo asked tilting his head to get a better look at the girl.

Alice just moaned lightly and turned her head so that it was buried in Oz's neck. Oz smiled softly and patted the girl's knee affectionately before he spoke.

"She gets really shy when there are a lot of people around. Isn't that right, Alice?" the girl made a slight noise and hid her face deeper into the boy's neck.

"You guys are cute together" Leo said pleasantly.

Oz gave a proud smile that clearly said _yes I know, I heard that several times tonight. _

"I'll see you two later, have fun."

"You too," Oz said, watching Leo walk away.

Once the boy was gone Oz unleashed his frown and shifted to the side speaking quietly to the drunk girl.

"Are you ready to go home?"

At first she just looked at him, her unfocused eyes started to drift behind the boy like she was daydreaming.

"Alice,"the boy nudged her to reclaim her attention. Then she shook her head "no" Oz huffed in frustration and when she started leaning again Oz held her upright before their foreheads had a collision.

"Here," Oz said reaching over to the little table beside him and passing her the glass. "Drink some punch so you'll feel better."

It seemed like the girl stared at the glass for an eternity before she spoke, "Is… it cold?"

"Yup," he smiled and helped her raise it to her lips. He watched her take a sip and his eyes glistened with anticipation. But then the glass was snatched out of her hand so fast that some of the punch spilled on the floor.

"This little game you're playing isn't cute in the slightest," Break said, spinning the liquid around in the glass.

"It's just punch," Oz said in defense.

Break eyed the boy, then he looked at Alice who was in the process of falling against Oz's shoulder again. The girl looked far worst than when he saw her last...she was literally on the brink of passing out. Break held the glass under his nose and sniffed it.

"You little brat, you spiked it..." the man glared hard at the boy, and Oz sent a hard stare right back.

"This has nothing to do with you," Oz said, but the mad man ignored him.

Break bent down and placed the cup on the floor. He took the girls hand, and called her name. But she just turned her face deeper into Oz's neck. Oz tightened the girl in his arms.

"Leave her alone, she doesn't want to see you," Oz said in a vicious tone.

Oz could have punched the man when he saw that he kept trying anyway. The white haired man reached over and caressed some of her hair, "Alice, my dear... it's time for bed," he said in the sweetest voice he could manage.

After a few seconds Oz was shattered when he felt the girl turn her head and look at Break. Then she slowly lifted herself from Oz. Alice looked at the man and whispered something that sounded like his name. Finally, the girl leaned forward and threw her arms around his neck...and he didn't hesitate to return the embrace.

"Break, let's...take a cold bath together...it's hot in here," she said.

The man let out a soft chuckle, "I don't think now's a good time," he said in a light response.

Oz's expression went from anger to disbelief. Alice had to be bluffing...Break couldn't have...

"_What_ have you been doing to her?" Oz asked threateningly.

The mad man looked back at him before standing up, steadying Alice backward so she was sitting with her back against the wall. The girl was finally gone; eyes closed and breath steady.

"You we're right Oz, jealousy suits you _much better_ than me. It even matches your eye color."

"Answer my question," the boy persisted.

Break laughed, "You have nothing to worry about. We haven't done anything close to what you and Gilbert have," The man sent him a side smirk "...although..."

Oz felt like a bullet had just shot him through the temple. His thoughts were jumbling up; sending him flashes of Gilbert's hard body and passionate eyes. Oz touched his forehead attempting to get the thoughts to play out in totality. Gilbert?...What exactly had Oz forgotten? What was Break talking about...?"

"Enjoy the rest of the night, Oz," Break scooped Alice up in his arms and walked away from him, saying his last words as he entered the door to the back hall, "If you want to leave here with all your limbs, you won't think to look for her tonight,"the man disappeared with Alice, leavening Oz in shambles.

He closed his eyes and tried to slow his heart down; it was like someone was pouring thick white paint over his vision. He closed his eyes and gripped the lounge chair, holding his breath as a lightheaded wave hit him. Gilbert…what about the servant? What was it that he forgot? Oz took a sharp intake of breathe. Images and feelings were rushing through him, shutting down all previous happenings of the night. The boy felt out of place, and disoriented...and his heart almost caved in when he began to remember...

_Gil..._

**OOO **

Break walked through the back corridors with Alice in his arms. It was empty in that part of the massive house, but he did look behind him several times to make sure he wasn't being followed by Oz or Rufus. Break did bump into Sharon however, and let the woman know that he was bringing Alice to a room to rest. He thought about bringing the girl to a finished room in the basement, but it was probably moldy down there since the spear room hadn't been used in years. So he settled for a small side room in the west wing of the house. It wasn't the easiest room to find, and it also could easily be overlooked as a closet.

He opened the door and was pleased that it was cool in there; a clean breeze was breaking through the open window even though it was humid outside. He laid the girl on the bed and took off one of his gloves. He placed his hand on her cheek; taking note of how clammy her skin felt.

He sighed.

It was terrible that it happened like that, Alice couldn't even enjoy herself without Oz trying to ruin it for her, or more accurately, for his own gain. And now, the girl was tossing her head and groaning slightly in her sleep from being nauseous and hot.

Break moved over to the window and opened it wider so that more air could come in. He looked back at her before he left the room and shut the door. He felt anger fill him at the thought of having to leave her like that, but he made it his first priority to come for her as soon as he was done with Mr. Harpsfield.

**XXX**

Oz moved through the room full of people looking feverishly for Gilbert. The boy felt like he was naked and exposed, moving awkwardly through the crowd like an elephant in a room full of mice. Even though each step he took was carefully calculated and he smiled at those who made direct eye contact with him, he still had the thought that everyone knew what was going on. He felt like he just got to the party, not remembering when he even showed up there. But one thing was clear, he knew something wasn't right because a recent image of Alice was still clinging to his mind...he knew he did something wrong again.

He spotted a group of Nightrays in the corner; most of them acting anti-social; but Gilbert wasn't among them. He thought to ask Elliot if he had seen the man, but when Elliot saw him he quickly rolled his eyes and turned away...so Oz walked up to Leo instead.

"Leo, have you seen Gil? I can't find him."

The black haired boy adjusted his glasses before he answered, "The last time I saw him was when he knocked over the table. Then Break brought him somewhere."

"...He was drunk?" Oz said above a sad whisper.

Leo nodded and took a sip of his punch, "Very..."

"I see…" Oz said. The blond said a quick thanks before heading out the room. He walked into the main hallway and saw Sharon closing the front door as she escorted two more very late guests into the house.

Oz walked up to her, "Sharon, do you know where Gil is?"

The girl looked to the side in deep thought, "Break brought him to the spear room upstairs, it's the first room on the left," the girl smiled.

"Thanks."

Oz darted up the large carpeted steps skipping some as he made his way up stairs. When he reached the second floor he turned down the hall and opened the first door he saw. It was dark in there and he whispered the man's name as he shut the door. At first he heard no response, but then he walked through the darkness and felt around for the bed he assumed would be there. When his leg bumped into the wooden bed frame he placed his hand on the soft mattress and felt around; climbing on the bed when he finally touched the body that lay there.

"Gil, wake up," Oz shook the man, listening to him groan a little. When Gilbert seemed as though he went back to sleep Oz moved up the bed and found the man's face, placing his hand on Gilbert's forehead before he buried it backward in his hair. This action finally stirred the man.

"Mm...Oz?" the man said drowsily. When Gilbert brought his hand up to weakly touch the boy's cheek Oz finally nodded against his hand.

Gilbert made a relaxed sigh as he tried to slowly pull himself up in bed.

"It's my fault...isn't it?" Oz said quietly.

The man cleared his dry throat, "What's your fault?"

"The reason you were drinking...it's because I made you upset."

Gilbert noted how sad the boy sounded; he didn't want Oz blaming himself for his own stupidity. So he took the boy in his arms and omitted some of the truth, "No...I just wasn't thinking. I went overboard."

"Tell me what I did," Oz's muffled voice demanded as he tightened his hold around the man's back.

"Nothing," the man said. In a way it was the truth, because Oz didn't say anything to him, he ignored him the whole night, but from the sound of it...Oz was completely unaware of what happened.

"...I want you to come home with me," Oz broke away from the man to look at him through the darkness.

"Are you feeling sick?" Gilbert said, his worried hand went straight to the boy's forehead so he could feel for a fever.

Oz shook his head "I'll explain everything when we get there. If I stay here any longer... I'll end up doing something else wrong."

The raven mumbled a soft "alright" and kissed the boy's forehead. He was still confused about the boy's behavior, but if Oz wanted to go home then that's where he would take him. He'd finally be able to hear what had been going on, and care for the boy accordingly.

**-:::::::-**

They both walked down the long staircase, and hit the main foyer. There was hardly anyone out there since everyone was in the ballroom. But when they reached the door a voice stopped them.

"I surely hope you two weren't just planning to run off and leave."

They both turned around, Gilbert looked at Oz and then looked at Break,"I'm taking Oz home, he's not feeling well."

The man threw his head back in a sour laugh, "He's not?" he said with fake pity. Break walked up to Oz and snatching up his chin and tiled it up, squeezing his cheeks between his fingers the way mothers did to bad children. "You look like you're in tip top condition compared to many of our other guest...especially the one you were hastily drowning in alcohol all night."

Oz looked in the man's angry red eye and was truly speechless, especially when flashes of a drunken Alice entered his mind in small disturbing bits. "I-"

Gilbert walked over and pulled Oz away from the man's furious grip, "_Stop it_" he said holding Oz against him protectively.

Break just looked at them like they were the most pitiable creatures he'd ever seen. Then he turned his eyes on Oz, "If you want to go home then be my guest, I'd actually prefer it if you did. However, you'll have to make the trip alone."

Gilbert's brow mashed, "What?"

"Did you forget that we have an interrogation to do?" Break inquired. "Even if Oz chooses not to take part in it, as my main subordinate you have no choice."

Gilbert looked to the side and thought about it. The interrogation was important, it could determine if they found a way to get rid of the seal. And if there was a way to save his master in the end, he wanted to be there, "...Let me take Oz home first, and then I'll come back."

"Gil?" Oz looked up at him; he didn't give a damn about the interrogation, he didn't want the man to leave him again… It was time to be selfish.

Before Gilbert could calm him, Break cut in, "Absolutely not,"he said without sympathy.

"Why?" The raven asked angrily.

"We're starting now. Mr. Harpsfield is getting restless. We could have done this earlier if you two were on your best behavior. But since you weren't…" Break walked closer to the pair and bent down to Oz's level. He looked into the boy's shimming green eyes and pinched his cheek roughly.

"Besides, you're a big boy now, you know your way home. And you certainly don't need an escort," Oz smacked Break's offending hand away and watched the man stand with a smirk, "As for you Gilbert, I expect to see you upstairs in four minutes" Break gave a fake bright smile "Bye-bye" they watched the man walk away, and head back into the ballroom. Gilbert turned to the blond beside him.

"Will you be Ok for a few more minutes?"

Oz nodded, and Gilbert continued, "This shouldn't take long. When I'm done we'll leave together," Gilbert took the boy's hand and began leading him up the stairs, back in the same direction as the room where Gilbert was resting. When they got there Gilbert took Oz over to the bed and sat down on it with him.

"Do you need anything?"

"No...I'll be fine."

"Alright, I'll come back for you when it's over. "

Oz leaned forward and pecked the man's cheek soft and lovingly. When it came down to it, Gilbert was his only ally, the only real person he could depend on, and he knew Gilbert did his damnedest to live up to that.

He was half surprised when Gilbert had moved forward and took his lips. Oz moaned, and let Gilbert kiss him fully. They enjoyed long slow pecks that boarded the edges of a tongue led kiss. Oz loved how warm the man felt and how Gilbert's lips held nothing back. After a moment, Gilbert pulled away from him, running the back of his hand down the side of the boy's cheek.

Oz could tell that Gilbert wanted to continue, but even when he felt himself falling toward the man's mouth, he halted and sighed. Gilbert finally got up and walked to the door, all the while Oz watched the outline of his figure leave him; making his chest prickle with pain.

**OOO**

They had been in the room for twenty minutes, and Mr. Harpsfield was still playing the ignorant card. Some of the Pandora members displayed their inpatients, like Gilbert who rested against the wall with his arms crossed, sighing audibly every few minutes. And others looked entertained by the happenings, or maybe they just didn't have anything better to do, like Vincent and Rufus, both of the men were sitting calmly with light smirks on their faces. Oscar, and Liam just sat attentively and watched Break continue to get frustrated...

"I'm sure there are other things you would like to do right now. So I'll ask you again, where is Mr. Bogart?" Break said, walking closer to the man with his cane in hand.

"I told you, I don't know anything."

"That's a lie. We know that you're the last one to be seen with him, we can give you the exact date if you want."

"…."

"If you don't know where he is, then tell us how he got rid of his chain."

"I don't even know what a chain is..." The man whined.

"Oh," Break said in fake surprise "Do you need one of us to show you then?"

Some of the men in the room laughed at the statement.

Mr. Harpsfield looked around franticly, "No, please! I don't want to see."

"Mr. Harpsfield...if you don't know what a chain is, then how can you fear it?"

" I...ahh…" the man swallowed hard.

Break's patience had reached it's end, he was getting desperate, "(sigh) Raven, can you come here please," the mad man asked nicely.

Gilbert slowly got off the wall, reaching his hand inside his tux. He walked up to them as he checked to see if his gun was loaded.

The frightened man gasped when Gilbert released the safety on the gun and pointed it at his head.

"I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Raven. He's actually a very nice person...but when he's angry..."

"Ok! I'll tell you...just make him put the gun away."

Break lifted a hand as a signal for Gilbert to back down, and the man did.

"We don't have all night..." Break said impatiently.

"He told me that it wasn't his choice...he was too weak. But that monster was smarter. It knew the end was coming soon...so it..."

The man got out of his seat and slicked his hand through his bladed hair. He began to pace toward the open window, and look out into the night.

" So?" Break pressed.

"…The chain found someone stronger," he said with an amused tone.

Break gripped his cane and sighed "…I had a feeling it was going to come to this."

"Do wanna know what happened after?" the man asked. His voice was beginning to fill with psychotic laughter.

When the atmosphere in the room began to shift and darken, people got up from their seats when they saw a cluster of black smoke beginning to take form behind the man. Break had been prepared for that, he readied himself to unleash some of his own power.

The chain had fully manifested into a typical trump card, the kind with a round ugly head and a tall card shaped body. It gave out a roar and Break raised his cane above his head, ready to banish the thing...but Gilbert was faster. The raven sent three bullets to the things head before it had a chance to stabilize and do any damage,…but the impact of the bullets caused Mr. Harpsfield head to fly backward as if he was the one hit. He stumbled backward... and sadly right out the open window with his chain.

Nearly everyone in the room ran up to see the mangled body on the ground, save for Break and Rufus who stayed where they were. It was a shame that it turned out that way. Yes, they learned a few things...but none of the information helped Break's predicament. There was also the fact that everything that Mr. Harpsfield suggested could have been a lie. And even if it wasn't a lie...Break's last chain was killed, so it wasn't like he could kindly ask the thing to find another willing contractor. And the vast majority of chains save for Alice, were idiots that just ate people; so it was a highly rare occurrence that one would be insightful enough to want to break a contract.

On top of all that...they also had a dead body on their hands.

" Break, what should we do now?" Liam asked as he cleaned his glasses with his sleeve and walked up to the disappointed man.

Break walked over to a table and grabbed a forgotten glass of wine that belonged to Mr. Harpsfield, then he walked over to the window and let it loosely fall out of his hand onto the dead body below. Then he turned to the rest of the room with a blank expression," We'll call the authorities and report this as an accident. If anyone is asked what happened, the man was drunk and fell out the window. I also want some of the staff to go to his home. Whoever chooses to lead that team should look for any documents that would give us clues about Daniel Bogart and his whereabouts."

"Yes, sir. I'll call the police right away," Liam said like a devoted member. Rufus rolled his eyes, Break could tell that it pissed the red head off that his own servant was so dedicated to him.

Before Break left the room, Oscar patted him on the back and congratulated him on his success but Break waved it off, resisting the urge to ask "_What success?"_ He shifted his irritation so he could focus on checking on Alice before the police got there. He brought a cup of cold water with him as he weaved through the house, knowing the girl was probably thirsty. But...when he reached the room he almost dropped the glass.

She wasn't in there.

Break forced himself to calm down. There was a chance that Alice was back in the ballroom, or she could be in one of the bathrooms as well. But the condition that he left her in…he didn't really think she would have the energy or the strength to get up.

Break hurried through the house, banging on all the bathrooms in that section of the mansion. When he didn't find her in any of them, he went back to the ballroom and searched through the guest.

Nothing, she wasn't there.

When he reached the main entrance hall, he found Miss. Sharon.

"Have you seen, Alice?" he tried to sound normal, but it was hard.

"Oh…Oz took her home, he said she wasn't feeling well."

The man's eyes widened, _how did he find her..._"How long ago did they leave."

"Umm..fifteen minutes ago. Why? Is there something wrong?"

Before Break could answer he saw Gilbert racing down the stairs,"Where's Oz?" Gilbert asked Break as though the man had something to do with the boy's disappearance.

"He took Alice," Break sighed and began to walk to the front door; he was going after them. But Liam ran up to him right after he opened it.

"Break, I just looked out the window, the police are coming up the road," he said out of breath.

Everything that could have gone wrong did, nothing was going as planned, and timing was horrible. Break didn't know what he should have done in that moment...but with Alice taken by a crazed deceitful Oz, he couldn't just stay there.

"I'll go after them," Gilbert offered as he approached the man.

At first Break was going to decline, but since the police were already there...he knew he was responsible for talking to them.

Break gave a reluctant nod, his usual indifferent disposition was abandoned as he spoke, "You can take one of the horses in the back. When you find them, please tell Alice to call me right away."

Gilbert nodded and hurried out the front door straight into the heavy rain that was now falling outside. Break stood in the doorway with apprehension in his bones. He knew he needed to get the police out of there soon. He also didn't know if he should wait around for Alice to call, or just go there and pick her up…the latter of the two sounded like the best option.

**OOO**

Everything was soft, and it cushioned the curves of her body as her mind tried to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open then shut immediately because of how intoxicated she was. She gave out a small noise and tried to tilt her head up but it just fell back against the pillow and tossed there slowly.

There was a person touching her legs as she lay there. Surely it was Break being an impatient bastard, feeling her up as a way to draw her from her vegetation like state. But something wasn't right about his hands. They felt different, more rushed and less focused. They weren't warm and loving like they always were, they were cold. The finger tips didn't savor every strip of flesh they touched like they usually did, nor did they have passion.

Before she could even open her eye's the person took her legs and prop them up on the bed so that her feet were planted, and her legs fell open like French doors. Her dress bunched up around her waist in a thick pile. She tied to uses her voice but I came out scratchy and soft. "Break?" she asked hoping it was him.

"_Don't_ say his name around me."

Alice forced her eyes open when she realized who it was, "Oz...why-"

"We're starting over Alice, just me and you..." the boy said as he crawled up the length of her body and pinned her beneath him.

She lifted her arms and tried to push him, "Get off of me!" no matter how hard she tried her voice was still scratchy. She could feel some of her strength come back, but the second time she opened her mouth he covered it roughly.

"I'm not trying to hurt you...I just, I have to have you..it's the only way," Oz ran one of his hands down the side of her pretty face, making her turn away at the contact. When she looked to the side she noticed that they were definitely in his room...

"I hate it when he putt's his hands on you, the way he looks at you. I can't stand it! He made you change Alice...you're not the same anymore."

She shook her head and freed her mouth, "_You're crazy,_" She said harshly.

He ignored her and slid his hand up her dress, latching his fingers onto the intimate fabric underneath. When she tried to kick her legs and yell, he crashed his lips onto her's and pinned her arms above her head. She squirmed and struggled beneath him, and then she bit his lip so he'd back off.

He did…briefly, "There's nothing he can do for you! He can't take care of you like I can..."

"I don't want to be with you!" She spat back.

"Oz..."

Alice and Oz both turned to see the man standing in the doorway. Gilbert was soaked in rain water, and his eyes were sad and confused. It was like all the air in the room was removed, because Oz felt like his lungs collapsed.

Oz didn't realize that something in his green eyes was changing...softening and losing their ambitious flare, and after several long seconds of froze realization, Oz spoke.

" ….Gil" Oz's hand slowly covered his mouth and nose, staring at the hurt raven in the doorway while Alice struggled to get up from underneath him. His green eyes were large and pain stricken, his body was stiff and unmoving as he hovered there. He turned his head to look down at Alice, then he looked back at the man he loved... "I'm sorry..." He said the words with a choking sob before blood started trickling down from between his fingers...and his eyes rolled back-

"Oz!"

The boy's body tilted as he almost passed out, and before he fell off the side of the bed Gilbert caught him and lowered them both to the floor, so he could hold the boy in his lap.

"Oz, look at me...Oz!" The man quickly removed his scarf from around his neck and held it against the boy's nose that was gushing with deep red blood. He could see Oz's eyes fluttering and he coughed up some of the blood that must have slipped down his throat. As his eyes began to focus on Gilbert he began to sob between coughs, trying to sit up and apologize to Alice and Gilbert. Gilbert shushed him and cradled the boy trying his best to settle him down. When Oz closed his eyes again and he began shaking violently in his arms, Gilbert looked up at Alice who was trying her best to stand up properly.

"What happened?" Gilbert asked accusingly.

Alice looked at him with an angry stare, "Don't you dare look at me like that. I didn't do _anything_ to him."

"He only gets like this when you're around-"

"That's _not_ my fault." Alice's eyes were filling up, "I didn't do anything..." her voice was breaking but she swallowed and held back the emotions.

Gilbert looked at her with unguarded disbelief watching her braced her arm against the wall for support. Gilbert looked back down at the boy who had new tears leaking from his closed eyes. Oz just wouldn't stop shaking. The only thing that was slowing was blood from his nose. The boy clawed at Gilbert's shirt and tried to speak again.

"Gil..."

"Shhh…It's Ok, Oz..." he said, softly running his fingers through his blond hair.

Gilbert finally remembered what Break had asked him to do. So he looked up thinking Alice was still there...but it was too late; the girl had already left the room. Gilbert stood up with Oz in his arms and laid him on the bed. Then he walked out of the room to look for Alice and to get a wet face cloth to clean Oz's face. But as soon as he was outside the room, he could hear Oz weeping hysterically again.

Gilbert rushed back into the room to find the boy curled up in a ball on the bed. Just hearing him cry like that was making his chest tight and his eyes sting. He walked over and gently scooped the trembling boy up again, holding Oz and sitting on the bed; whispering assuring words to him. Once again Oz began to calm down; but not completely. Gilbert looked up when he felt a presence in the room.

"Excuse me, Gilbert. Mrs. Kate wants to speak with you." Martha said, concern was in her eyes as he looked over the blond in his arms.

"Tell her I'm busy," Gilbert said with annoyance, rubbing Oz's back as the boy hid his face in the raven's chest.

"She said it's urgent."

"If the house isn't burning down then it's not urgent," he snapped. "Tell her to wait."

Martha stood there for a few more seconds then she cleared her throat to get Gilbert's attention again "Please Gilbert…she'll reprimand me if you don't come." She said in quiet desperation.

Gilbert sighed, and when he tried to shift the boy to the bed Oz clung to him tighter.

"Gil..." Oz said through broken vocals.

"I'll come back in a few minutes," he whispered to the boy. He put Oz on the bed and covered him, before he walked out of the room with Martha and quietly shut the door.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

Gilbert answered honestly, "I don't know."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you get some warm face cloths and put them in there."

She nodded eagerly. Then turned on her heels to quickly complete the task, she stopped momentarily when Gilbert called out to her.

"Where's Mrs. Kate?" he said, trying to hurry up the process.

"She's in the living room."

Gilbert quickly walked passed her and went down the hall to go look for the woman. When he entered the living room he saw her standing near the fire place with a sheet in her hand. Her lips were pressed in thin frown and she watched him with a chilling stare.

"You wanted to see me?" Gilbert walked further into the room.

"You thought you were clever, didn't you? Did you think I wouldn't find it?" the woman asked as she walked over to him and aggressively shoved the sheet into his arms.

"What is this?" he held the sheet with confusion, and as he looked down and examined it, he saw the stains.

Gilbert barley had a chance to look back up before she sent a swift and painful smack to his face, one that echoed in the room. His eyes widened and he touched his stinging cheek, before looking back at her.

"You're an absolute disgrace. Not only did you take advantage of an innocent boy but you also shamed his family...what do you possibly have to say for yourself?"

"I-"

When it appeared that she was going to hit him again Gilbert grabbed her raised arm, wanting to twist it off, but he released it and took two steps away from her.

"I _love_ Oz. I would never hurt him on purpose," he said, desperately trying to get the woman to understand.

"Hogwash! I should have called the police as soon as I knew the horrible things you were doing to him. Now you listen to me," She said harshly, walking up to him and pointing a thin finger in his face.

"Even though you don't deserve it, I'll give you a choice. You can pack your things and leave quietly, or I'll tell Oscar about this and you can be kicked out, it's up to you. But if you're not out by dawn I'll assume you made your decision."

She snatched the sheets from him and walked passed him, mumbling the words "filthy dog" as she left.

Gilbert stood there stunned. He knew Mrs. Kate hated him, but he didn't know that she would think that poorly of him...accuse him of deceiving Oz. And what would Oscar say? He definitely wasn't going to leave the boy's side, but if she told Oscar and he got upset... Gilbert quickly made his decision. But the actual action would have to wait because he had a lover/ master that needed him.

**OOO**

As the girl ran, she stumbled several times. Not only because she wasn't entirely sober, but also because the slippery mud and heavy rain made it impossible for her to move swiftly. Her dress, face and hair were covered in thick wet dirt, and somewhere through her sloppy journey she lost one of her high heeled shoes. She was sure someone would find it firmament in the dirt the next day. At some point she fell so hard that she sliced her calf on something sharp that was hiding in the mud. She was bleeding, but she kept moving anyway.

She was a mess. And the further she moved the less she believed she'd make it. She began to hobble on the dark rainy path like something creepy that just escaped from the swamp. She shook her head when she collapsed to the ground, clutching at the dirt in frustration as she kneeled there. She refused to cry about her weakened state, and she rejected the pain in heart that her friend would do something like that to her. She was stronger than that, tears weren't going to solve anything.

She felt lonely and cold but it wasn't like she never been through those feelings before. After all, that's how it always was in the Abyss; no one was her friend and no one was ever there to sooth the pain...just her and her empty thoughts.

She crawled over to a large tree and sat beneath it, thinking she'd rest there until her physical strength came back. She closed her eyes and listened to the rain beat down onto the earth. Even though she was somewhat sheltered under the tree, heavy dripping water would run onto her occasionally, from rain drops collection on leaves and tipping them.

Her bear foot rested against wet pebbles and grimy dirt, and the sensation was incredibly unpleasant. She sighed, and as her thoughts zoomed in on the sound of the rain, her ears also picked up on horse huffs traveling in the distance. Alice didn't bother checking where the sound was coming from, she just listened to it get closer. And when it sounded as though it was heading right toward her she looked up and turned her head, it was too dark to see the person on the horse but the voice was familiar.

" Alice!" Break called to her, rushing over to the tree she sat beneath. The girl looked up at him when he stooped down in front of her. They stared at each other and after a moment he quickly took her into his arms. Alice embraced the man tightly, burring her face in his neck and shivering throughout the secure hold he had on her.

Even though he was asking her a thousand concerned questions about whether she was hurt and asking her what happened, Alice could only focus on his warmth. All the toxic hurt she was feeling was attempting to escape from her throat. A mixture of finally being safe in his arms, and tears that wanted to leak with frustration over everything that happened. But she wouldn't let it occur.

Even though she loved being held by him, she was feeling too vulnerable in his arms... Maybe it was because she knew he would help sooth her, that he was ready and willing to care for her emotions and help mend them, help fix everything that was broken. But she didn't want him to have to do that...she had to handle it alone..

Alice quickly broke the embrace, and used the tree to help herself stand up, when the man tried to help her she waved him off, and began to hobble to the horse, but then he took hold of her upper arm and turned her back toward him.

" Why are you being that way? Tell me what happened," his request almost came out as a plead.

Just hearing the words " what happened" triggered her defensiveness.

" Nothing happened. Let's go..." she tried to turn away and go to the horse but he wouldn't let her.

" If nothing happened you would have stayed where you were and waited for me to come and get you."

"I didn't feel like waiting around for that"

"Of course you didn't...because he did something to you."

Her eyes widened at the statement but she still stayed silent and shook her head "no". She couldn't bring herself to say the words. She didn't want to admit that she was misled by her friend...that the situation left her feeling betrayed and weak.

"Why are you protecting him...?" he asked softly.

"I'm not protecting him."

"Then what is it? You don't trust me?"

"I do..."

"Then stop letting your pride get in the way of me helping you...I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore..." he walked up to her and she resisted the urge to step back. She wanted to tell him not to embrace her again...because she knew she was at her emotional brink. But he did, and kissed her forehead. And even though she bit her lip to hold back the tears it didn't help. She could feel her legs going weak as his warm arms wrapped around her. Her hands grasp the man's wet jacket as she rested her forehead against his chest, muffling her hard cries in his shirt.

**-:::::::::-**

By the time Break had taken Alice back to the Rainsworth house there were no guest remaining, and he was grateful.

Sharon had taken Alice and helped her get cleaned up. And while Alice was bathing and getting her wounded leg cleaned and bandaged Break took the time to prepare some hot tea and danishes for her. Break could tell that Sharon was no longer ignorant to their relationship; the knowledge actually seemed to humble her...as if she were relieved that he was with someone she knew.

And when Alice was done, Break sat on his bed with her and watched her eat the food he gave her while she explained all that had happened that night. He listened attentively, and took mental notes of what she was saying, tying his best to piece together more facts that confirmed his beliefs about Oz's behavior. When she was finished explaining he laid next to her on the bed, and gently caressed her hair until she finally fell asleep in his arms...but he didn't fall asleep with her.

Even though it was the first time they had shared a bed in days, he could barely appreciate it. His mind was racing with too many thoughts to count, and he felt like there was too much going on for him to enjoy a good nights rest.

**OOO**

After he "spoke" with Mrs. Kate, Gilbert return to his master and tried his best to comfort him. It took an hour but he was able to get Oz into his night clothes, and help him calm down with some tea. Oz barely spoke throughout any of it, and he would just physical refuse to do things. Like put the tea cup to his lips since his hands were busy shaking, and when it came to the task of getting on his night clothes he just looked down at the material like it was the most challenging feat that he would ever know. It was a shift of duty helping Oz drink his tea and dress since the boy was always so independent, but Gilbert didn't mind at all; and he made sure he whispered soothing words to the boy.

Even though all the pieces weren't in place, Gilbert got a feel for the situation without Oz having to tell him. He finally saw full force what Oz was struggling with…well, hopefully what "Jack" was struggling with. When Gilbert reflected on Oz's reaction when he showed up, he knew that that wasn't "his" Oz mounted on the chain, and the Oz that ignored him throughout the night was not his Oz either. The Oz that was wrapped in his arms for hours trying to apologize to him was his Oz. And the Oz that he left sleeping in the room was also his.

Gilbert sat in the kitchen with shaking hands and cigarette smoke infesting the space around him. It was twelve forty five in the morning and he could hear Oscar's footsteps walking through the entrance hall. The raven took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He got up and walked down the hall.

He saw the man heading in the direction of his bedroom.

"Oscar, can I talk to you," he said cautiously.

The man turned to face him, "Now? Can it wait 'till morning? I'm a little tired."

"It's kind of important."

"Is something wrong?" the man asked with a bit of worry in his voice.

"Well...not really. I have to tell you something."

The man laughed lightly, "Don't look so frightened about it," he motioned for Gilbert to follow him, "Come into the dinning room."

Gilbert followed after Oscar and when they reached the dinning room Gilbert took a seat across from the man.

"So, what is this you have to tell me, that can't wait 'till a decent hour? Ha Ha," he said pulling out a cigarette.

Gilbert looked down at the table, "...Umm, I thought I should let you know that, I really care about Oz."

"Ah-huh..." the man said hesitantly.

"And that..." Gilbert swallowed deeply and looked back at the man. "...I'm in love with him."

"...Love?" the older male asked scratching the back of his head.

Gilbert nodded and blushed, only looking back at the table when he saw the baffled look on his face. The silence in the room was murderous. He would have appreciate it if Oscar said something...anything, even yelling would be OK...but not silence.

After a few minutes the man finally spoke, "I guess I'm not surprised, with the way you two carry on." He chuckled "...was that all you had to tell me."

Gilbert shook his head "no" and then turned a deep crimson color.

"I...We did...um. _That_."

"…Like…that _that_."

Gilbert nodded.

"O...K"Oscar cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to tell me, but I didn't really need to know that."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to be the one to tell you before she did."

"…She? Who -" then it dawn on Oscar.

"Mrs. Kate blackmailed you?" he said with deep disappointment.

Gilbert gave a slight nod, "I didn't know how you'd handle it. I wanted to make sure you understood how I feel about him...and that I would never hurt him or anything…"

"I'm disappointed in you Gilbert," he said through a small laugh, causing Gilbert to look up at him.

"Even if she told me it wouldn't change the way I look at you. I respect you and I'm proud that you turned out to be a fine young man."

Gilbert mumbled a humble thank you.

Oscar smiled warmly, "Whatever you and Oz choose to do is your business. I'll keep supporting you both as long as you're doing what makes you happy. That's all that matters, right?"

Gilbert nodded gratefully, and watched Oscar get up. So he did too. When they began walking out of the room, Oscar put his hand on the raven's shoulder, and then whispered over to him.

"And don't worry about Mrs. Kate, I'll take care of it." The man winked and patted him on the back before whistling quietly down the hall; not noticing the huge sigh of relieve that Gilbert expelled, nor his relaxing shoulders and closed eyes.

* * *

Ok...in the next chapter Oz's "condition" will be revealed in detail. So...hope you liked the chapter.

Thanks for reading

-Rage


	10. Warm

HI ! :) Sorry about the wait, and if the edit/grammar/spelling is sloppy. ( I've been _really _busy)

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it's characters._

_

* * *

_

**XXXWarmXXX**

Gilbert woke up late the next morning; he could have kicked himself for sleeping so hard. He looked down and saw that Oz was still fast asleep. The boy was so close to Gilbert's body that he was practically under him. Gilbert yawned quietly and sat up in bed, taking a minute to gather his bearings before he got up. After fixing the bed so that the covers were over the blond; then he left the room.

Gilbert left the door cracked so he could hear the boy if he called. As he walked to the kitchen he was surprised that the smell of breakfast wasn't in the air. He didn't see Martha or Mrs. Kate running around taking care of house work, nor did he see Oscar. So, he focused his intentions on making a late brunch for Oz.

He always liked making breakfast because it was the epitome of the last part of its name..._fast_. He perfectly poached four eggs and made some creamy white porridge instead of oatmeal. He then sprinkled sugar on it and diced up two fat strawberries that he placed on the soft fluffy mass in the bowls. He butter some toast and placed everything on the tray; not forgetting the utensils, napkins, and a two cups of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Unlike other breakfast that jolted someone with energy like griddle cakes and syrup with bacon, this breakfast was a type of "comfort" meal, the kind that went down warm and landed heavy on the stomach…A breakfast that left you sleepy and full at the end, not to mention that it got that job done without the cook making anything extravagant.

As he walked down the hall with the tray, he was surprised to find Mrs. Kate standing in Oz's doorway with two suitcases at her side and a handkerchief in her hand. She sniffled and wiped the space under her nose. Gilbert stopped in his tracks and observed the woman, listening to her whimper lightly. When she finally felt his presence watching her, she quickly turned her head away from him and dabbed her watery eyes. She cleared her throat as though she hadn't just been crying and lifted her luggage from the floor before she started heading in his direction. Her eyes were set straight in front of her, and her chin was held high.

"Don't get comfortable," she said in a condescending breath. Those were her last three words to him as she walked passed the raven.

He turned to watch her exit the long hall, and all he could do was ponder on her last words and how ironic they were. She dared to tell him not to get comfortable...when she was the one who had to pack up and relocate. By the look of it, it seemed like she wouldn't be back, at least not for a while.

When he finally brought the food to the boy, he found that Oz was still asleep.

"Oz…"

"..."

Gilbert put the tray on the bedside table and sat on the bed; he caressed the boy's blond hair.

"Oz, it's time for breakfast."

The boy took a minute to open his overly sleepy green eyes and looked up at Gilbert before he looked at the meal next to him. Oz gave a weary smile, "It looks delicious..." he said groggily before rolling away from him and curing up again, "I'll eat it in a few minutes...Ok."

Any other day Gilbert would have laughed off the action, but Oz didn't turn over in fun stubbornness or throw the cover over his head with a laugh. The boy's movements were slow and listless, and Gilbert could also tell that it wasn't only from physical exhaustion.

"You need to eat something, you can sleep after…"

Oz gave a sigh in the pillow, and then he turned over and pushed himself up in bed. Gilbert brought the tray over his knees and when Oz was settled he began to eat.

As Gilbert ate with the boy he noticed that Oz's pace was three notches below normal, and his hand quivered sometimes and made clinking sounds against the bowl. It made Gilbert frown when he saw that Oz's hand was so unsteady that sometimes the porridge and egg yoke would fall from his mouth and run down his chin; Gilbert didn't hesitate to quickly wipe it for him.

His green eyes weren't awake and life-filled…they were only half open and dull.

"This is good..." Oz said as he took another unsteady bite.

Gilbert supposed that Oz wasn't only trying to flatter him since he surprisingly ate all the food...even if it did take a while. When he was finished Gilbert removed the tray from his master's bed and placed it back on the little table. When he looked back at the boy Oz gave him a sight motion with his hand so Gilbert would come to his side. When the raven got close Oz sat up a little more and slid his hand onto the back of Gilbert's neck, lowering Gilbert's head and kissing his cheek; whispering a grateful thank you.

Gilbert's cheeks flushed under Oz's lips and when the blond settled back in bed, he let his hand caress the shell of Gilbert's ear affectionately before he slipped his hand away from the man's face and turned over on his side.

As Gilbert began to silently collect the tray he heard Oz speak.

"Hey, Gil... Did something bad happen last night?" Oz asked distantly, still not facing the raven.

Gilbert swallowed silently, "Not really...you just, weren't feeling well," he lied unevenly, knowing very well that the previous night was horrible, and that if Oz had no recollection of it then he refused to plague him with troublesome reminders...

The bed creaked as the boy turned over to face him, then closed his eyes and rubbed his face against the pillow.

"Then why do I feel like I killed someone?" he opened his sleepy green eyes and stared at the bed sheets. When Gilbert didn't say anything Oz moved his hand to the side of the bed and patted it, wanting the man's warmth to help numb the heaviness in his chest.

Gilbert put the tray down and crawled into the bed getting under the covers and taking Oz into his arms. The boy laid his head on his chest.

"Have you ever seen something moving in a dark room, but when you try to stare at it directly, it disappears?"

Gilbert caressed his back as he spoke, "It happens to me sometimes, but only when I'm really tired. Why do you ask?"

"Well...That's what it feels like. Like the truth is there in my mind but when I try to see it, it disappears."

"You mean the blank spots in your memory?"

Oz nodded against him, "The only thing that's left over is the feeling. That's how I know something bad happened," Oz lifted his head to look at the man, "It makes sense right? I wouldn't feel bad unless I did something I regret. And it's not always regret…at times I feel guilty, and other times it's more like disappointment, or I just feel sad for no reason…Sometimes I think that I could be making the truth disappear myself, because it would hurt too much to know what it is."

Oz sat up, "Are you sure nothing happened? All I remember is..."Oz trailed off then looked down at the bed, "Crying."

Gilbert bit his lip.

"It's always like that...I can recall the last moments of something I did...and sometimes I'll find thing I must have done."

"Like the phone cord?" Gilbert asked.

"You figured that out, huh?" he gave a guilty half smile without looking at the raven.

Gilbert sat up and took the boys face in his hands, then he kissed his lips several times before he spoke, "Whatever's happening to you we'll figure it out...I don't really believe you're doing those things anyway."

"You think it's Jack?"

Gilbert nodded.

"I told you he hasn't said anything to me...but sometimes I think I see what he sees...or what he saw."

"Alice?"

"Yeah…when she was younger."

"Well…There have been times when he's possessed you without warning" he said as a side fact.

"Yeah, but...Why now? Before, he always seemed to have a good reason."

Gilbert shrugged his shoulders, "We just need to find out why he's doing it now…"The raven said, taking the boy back in his arms and holding him close.

**-::::::::::-**

Gilbert was wide awake, but his body was tired. He lay there with the blond asleep in his arms. It was a lazy Sunday that rendered the house drowsy. It was one of those days that you found yourself appreciating the little things. Like the clean smell of your pillow and the soft feeling of warm blankets covering your body in a chilly room, especially when your mind was free from tending to anything else but rest. It was the type of day that colored the house gray and quiet...peaceful. Yes, that's what Sunday was supposed to be like.

That's until the doorbell rang.

Gilbert dreaded answering it; he wasn't ready to let the world invade their peaceful home. His first thought was that it was Mrs. Kate, but then he thought it was Alice coming back home which would surely throw Oz into a state of confusion again.

When the person started ringing uncontrollably he huffed and got off the bed; surprised that all the noise didn't wake his master. When he walked out of the room he shut the door quietly and hurried to the door to see who it was.

In a very hermit like fashion, Gilbert walked up to the front door and opened it...but only a little bit. When he saw who it was he tried to shut the door again, but Break placed his foot in the way.

"Good Morning!" The mad man said too lively.

"What do you want?" Gilbert asked with annoyance, still refusing to open the door any wider.

"That's a rude way to speak to the person who helped you last night...even though you didn't return the favor," the man said with amusement, "But I'm willing to forgive that since I got Alice back safe... somehow."

"Did you come all the way here to complain about that?" the raven was losing patients.

"As much as I would like to, I actually came here to speak with Oz."

Gilbert's eyes narrowed, "Oz isn't feeling well. I'm not allowing anyone to see him today...or tomorrow," Gilbert tried to shut the door again, but the white haired man wouldn't move his foot.

"May I speak with you, then? This information is quite serious" Break leaned in close and whispered, "I wouldn't want to use alternative methods to enter the house...and you know I won't hesitate to do so" he said with a sparkling high voice and an enthusiastic smile.

Gilbert frowned, "Fine. But I'm not letting you see him."

"Very well."

Gilbert hesitantly opened the door and stepped aside letting the man walk passed him. As they walked down the hall toward the living room, he saw Martha. Break didn't hesitate to ask the girl to "be a dear" and get them some tea. By the time they settled into the living room, the girl had already brought the tea tray with two cups and a steaming porcelain kettle. She also bought a small pie, forks, and a few saucers with her.

"What is this about?" Gilbert finally asked lighting a cigarette, crossing his legs, and leaning back comfortably in the couch as he put his free arm across the top of it.

Break twirled his spoon in his tea before taking a sip, "I'm sure you're not oblivious to what's been going on with Oz, since you are the one who discovered what he was doing with Alice last night."

Break looked back up and caught the raven nodding in agreement.

Break sighed and continued, "I have a tentative theory about his behavior, but it would be far easier to confirm it if I speak to him myself," the man's red eye gleamed with serious anticipation as he spoke, but Gilbert held fast.

"You can speak to him when he's feeling better. For now, I'll make sure to let him know what you think," he said, lightly tapping the ash off the tip of his cigarette and into the small tray on the table.

Break gave a defeated side nod. He knew getting passed Gilbert was going to be difficult; the man was like a damn fortress when it came to Oz, "Well then, I'll get to the point so I don't waste any more of your time."

Even though he said that, he still took three minutes to drink some more of his tea, and eat some of the black berry pie off of his plate. It took Gilbert to clear his throat loudly in order for the man to get back to business.

With a large huff and the lowering of his small plate, Break began. "I suspect that Oz is being partially possessed by Jack."

"Partially?" the raven responded with critical eyes and smoke traveling through his nose.

"Maybe a better word is emotionally. According to Alice, Oz's personality is not completely absent when he's with her, it's only altered. So that means one of two things: Jack can either mimic Oz's voice and mannerisms perfectly...or Jack's whole personally isn't what's been coming to the forefront."

"Then what is it?"

"His feelings...and maybe a bit of his memories. At first I thought it was a full possession, a very sophisticated one, but then I found that somewhat absurd since from what I hear about Jack, he wasn't that conniving and underhanded."

"Oz isn't either!" the raven said defensively.

Break held up a hand to calm the man, "I didn't say he was...but that doesn't mean he lacks the potential to get that way."

"What are you saying?" Gilbert said with a bit of spite. His crossed leg began to shake impatiently.

"I'm saying that whatever Jack feels for Alice has become so strong that it's shutting down pieces of Oz's rationale."

Break gave Gilbert a minute to take in the information before he continued.

"Let say that Jack has a minimal level of awareness within Oz, and that he could observe Alice whenever he wanted. Who's to say that he hasn't fallen in love with her over the time that she's come back from the Abyss. After all… she's no longer the young girl that he probably remembers."

Gilbert sighed and nodded, it made sense…

"The key to this is that because Alice is connected to Oz through the contract, Jack can still enjoy her closeness to a degree. And maybe with the progression of the seal, the intensity of the feelings might have also increased."

"If that's the reason then this should have started happening before."

"Not necessarily. The difference now is that everything has become complicated."

"In what way?"

"For one, Oz's relationship with you differs from what many people thought was exclusively Alice's fate with him. His feelings for you probably threw Jack off as well...but it doesn't mean that Jack's feelings changed. But that's not the only complication..." he smiled, and picked up his tea, "Alice is also in a relationship with someone _other_ than Oz, so Jack can't "have" her anymore. I think to a certain extent Jack was expecting to benefit from Oz's relationship with her...but it didn't happen that way."

The white haired man sipped his tea and sighed sadly before he continued.

"The problem is...I don't know if Jack's emotions have literally taken on a mind of their own and developed into a "middle" personality, or if it just becomes so overwhelming to Oz that he doesn't realize that he's letting them control his behavior. Either way, it's clear that the main goal is to satisfy the desire to have Alice's affection back, so it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Wait, if Oz's is trying to satisfy Jack's feelings, why wouldn't Jack try to stop Oz from hurting her?...if he loves her so much."

Break took a sip of his tea and looked up at the ceiling apathetically,"I thought about that too...and the only thing I can come up with is that he's either choosing to be ignorant, or he's deeply depressed to the point that he's having a hard time dealing with everything. But that depression can be evoking Oz even more...making him go to an even larger extent to get rid of it. Hence, the attempted rape that took place last night," Break looked back in time to see Gilbert cringe at the word.

Break continued, "And of course... there's always the possibility that Jack is _allowing_ Oz to act out in hopes that the boy succeeds in reclaiming Alice, which can mean that the contract has distorted Jack's judgment as well. But the only way I could see Jack benefiting from that is if he chooses to fully possess Oz the moment the boy succeeds."

Break noticed that Gilbert looked lost and distant, "You look upset, you should be happy that Oz's true emotions aren't the ones in question."

Gilbert sighed, "What about a few days ago? Oz was able to remember being with her, and he could even justify it when I was suspicious," The raven looked back at him "How do you know all of this isn't just Oz being unsure of his own feelings?"

Break laughed, "Are you that insecure, Gilbert?" Gilbert blushed at the question, "Do you think Oz would have, how did you say it last night?...'did sex with you' if he wasn't really sure he wanted to?"

Gilbert's blush deepened.

"Look at last week as the beginning stages. The change in him most likely happened the moment he felt that Alice was acting strangely, which made Jack realize that as well. I think Oz was trying his best to consciously balance out both his feelings and Jack's, writing off Jack's suspicion and jealousy as his own concern for her safety. But when Alice moved father out of reach it became more severe."

Break quickly finished his pie in a few accurate bites, "At this rate I fear that this "middle personality" will either get smarter or more desperate, and less able to control its impulses."

"What are we supposed to do now? How do I get Oz back to normal?"

Break laughed darkly, "Has he _ever_ been normal?"

"This isn't funny, Break…" Gilbert said angrily.

"Well, has he been abnormal when he's with you?"

"He's fine when it's just us"

Break placed his plate on the table and leaned back on the couch, "That reminds me...Alice said something striking. She told me that when you're involved in any way that he seems to revert back to himself, did you witness this?"

Gilbert nodded.

Break gave a "humm" sound, "I don't know how long that's going to hold up, though."

"What do you mean?"

"You said he saw you at the ball last night...but he ignored you. That's a sign that this is progressing, soon you might not be able to bring him back."

Gilbert didn't want to hear that. He got up and began pacing, hands going to his forehead as if it would help him concentrate, "...There has to be something that can be done..." He paused at the fireplace and let his elbow rest on the marble ledge as he mumbled out a possibility, "If we could only get rid of that damn seal..."

"And where does that leave Alice?" Break raised an angry brow, "If we get rid of the seal we risk condemning her back to the Abyss."

Gilbert snapped his head in the man's direction, "And if we don't were leaving Oz to get mentally ruined, the seal was going to have to get removed anyway."

"You're being selfish." Break pointed out.

"And you're not? She's a chain Break...she's was going to have to go back eventually. You know that."

"Gilbert, I'm very disgusted with your insensitivity..."

"Alright then, maybe she doesn't have to go back. What about what that man said, can't you confirm if chains can find other contractors?"

"We don't know if that's true or not, and I won't let Alice be the first test subject." Break stood up, "There are other ways to deal with Jack...and until we find those ways tying to break the seal is out of the question."

"At least think about it! If she finds another contractor then she's free from Oz for good...you won't have to worry about him coming after her."

"I wouldn't allow that regardless. What you mean to say is that you won't have to worry about him being unfaithful."

With those words Gilbert opened his mouth to retort, but then he closed it. The raven's features soften with new shame…because he knew Break was right.

**-::::::::::-**

Break could tell that Gilbert was happy to finally escort him out the house, but...Break wasn't exactly ready to leave. He stayed four feet behind the man as they walked down the long hall and kept his eyes on each door they passed. If he remembered correctly, Oz's room would be coming up...

It was a stroke of luck that he heard a rustling sound coming from behind one of the doors, and then, "Gil…are you out there..?" Break and Gilbert stopped walking at the same time. Break watched Gilbert look back at him as if he could read Break's thoughts, but it was too late. Break dashed for the bedroom door so quickly that Gilbert took a step back at the share speed that Break exerted while he ran passed the raven and into the room; slamming the door behind him.

"BREAK! Open the door! OPEN IT!" Gilbert said frantically while jiggling the knob; but Break quickly locked it.

Break smirked at the relentless effort that Gilbert was using to open the door. It was funny to hear all the cursing that the raven was doing and the threats he was making about "If you touch him...blah blah blah." Break blocked it out and turned to the boy that was wide eyed in the bed. He walked toward him as the sound on the other side of the door concluded with a three harsh kicks and then silence.

"Break, what's going on?" Oz said with confusion, flinching when Break's hand connected with his forehead.

"Hum…I don't feel a fever. Tell me Oz, do you like being catered to, or do you want to help Gilbert feel useful by playing sick for him?"

"I'm not sick. Gil wants me to rest today," Oz said, as he looked down at the blankets.

Break removed his hand and sat on the side of the bed, half noticing that Gilbert was being extremely quiet out in the hall...which was a bad sign.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why did you come here?" the blond asked looking up at the man who was staring into space.

Break turned to look at him, "I just wanted to inform you that because of what happened, I think it's only wise for you to keep your distance from Alice, at least until you have more control over the situation."

_What is he talking about..._

Break got up and looked out the window next to the bed, "If you really need to see her, then I'll allow supervised visits. Meaning either Gilbert or I would have to be present for the duration of the time you're with her."

Oz clutched at the blankets as his mind wrapped around what the man was saying, "Isn't that...a bit extreme?" He noticed that his words sparked a bit of repressed rage in the man; although, it was contained.

"Gilbert didn't tell you?" Break said calmly, even though his features contradicted his reserved stance.

"Tell me what?"

As if on cue the bedroom door crashed open, revealing an angry flustered raven with a key in his hand, Gilbert was breathing heavy as he walked deeper into the room, "Get Out!" he yelled at Break, pointing at the door, " Get Out _Now_!"

Break sighed. He turned his body around and leaned his back against the windowsill; folding his arms, "You make it sound like I was in here _assaulting_ him."

_Assault..._The word traveled through Oz's ears and struck something in his skull. His eyes widened and his hand slowly went to his forehead as if a headache had just attacked him.

"I raped her...?" he said, his voice sounded far away as his fearful eyes turned to rest on Gilbert.

Gilbert looked over at the boy who was going ridged with shock. Then the raven turned his furious eyes on Break, "See what you did! He was _fine_ until you got here, he was just _fine!_" Gilbert walked over toward the bed.

As soon as Gilbert was close enough Oz grabbed at the man's arm and looked up at him, "Gil, did I rape her?" Oz asked, desperately needing an answer.

Gilbert shook his head and stooped down beside the bed so he was at Oz's level, "...You didn't," he said softly, trying to move some of the blond's bangs out of his eyes.

"But you _did_ try," Break chimed in, causing Gilbert and Oz to look at him, "And you would have succeeded if Gilbert never showed up."

Gilbert sighed in defeat when Oz looked back at him, "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything when I asked you?" Oz said angrily.

"I wanted to wait until you got some more rest...I didn't want to make you upset again," Gilbert's eyes never met the boy's when he spoke.

"Damn it, Gil!" Oz turned away from the man and abruptly got out of bed.

"Oz-"

"I have to see her, I need to apologize," Oz open his top dresser draw looking for a shirt to wear.

Gilbert stood up, "Oz, it can wait. You should finish resting today."

Oz stopped rummaging through his clothes, seeming to consider the request, then he mumbled "I can't" and continued looking through his draw.

"Oz..."

"Would you clarify why he needs rest today," Break asked, causing Gilbert to turn his head in the man's direction.

"In case you haven't noticed he looks exhausted. You said it yourself, if Jack's suffering it's affecting Oz's body...and you barging in here and pointing a finger at him isn't helping either."

"You do realize that Oz is not the _only_ victim in this situation...how do you think Alice feels?" Break said, causing Gilbert to let out a sigh that clearly showed that he really didn't care about that.

"She probably hates me...and I don't blame her," Oz finally said, bring the attention back on him. He held his clothes close to his chest as he finished, "But even if she does, I have to let her know that I'm sorry."

"I suggest that you write her a letter instead. She may not be ready to see you so soon." Break advised.

"But-"

"You do want what's best for her, right?" the white haired man prompted.

After a minute, Oz nodded. His voice cracked slightly when he pushed a broken "yes" past the growing apple in his throat. He swallowed hard, blinking his tears back into his eyes. And even though not a single tear fell he still saw Gilbert walking over to him. The man took the clothes out of Oz's arms and placed them on the bed. Then he turned back to the boy and embraced him, kissing the top of his head as he did so.

Oz knew Gilbert could see through his fake smiles, but he didn't know the man was that knee to know that he was on the edge of an emotion breaking down, especially when Gilbert had been on the other side of the room. It was almost like he could smell the developing tears in his eyes; the way one could smell the rain coming before it fell.

Oz didn't know if he wanted to cry because somewhere inside him Jack realized he couldn't see Alice anymore or...if he ,Oz Vessalius, was sad that he most likely lost a dear friend. And was it possible that they could be crying at the same time for different reasons?...just using the same eyes to do it.

When Gilbert felt Oz convulse slightly, he knew the tears were about to start, "Break, I think you should go now," he said softly with his back turned.

"You're right...this scene is reminding me of the other person who needs comforting right now. Well then, call me when you're ready to make a plan of action to resolve this matter."

Gilbert's jaw clenched before he spoke, "I don't think we'll need much of your assistance," Gilbert turned his head to look at the man, "On second thought, when you're ready to help us remove the seal... then give me a call."

Break chuckled, "If that's how it is, then don't wait by the phone," he said as he walked out the bedroom door; taking the easy Sunday atmosphere with him.

**OOO**

Alice sat in the flower garden in the back of the Rainsworth estate. She had been up for two hours. When she woke up, she was instantly aware that there were no warm arms around her, and instead of Break sharing the bed with her, there was only Emily left by her side. She found a note next to the bed on a rolling cart with a covered meal next to it. It read:

_I went out for a few hours; I'll be back by mid-afternoon. _

_-X. Break_

_P.S. Feel free to eat 'till your heart's content. _

At the bottom of the note there was a big heart, even though the note made her roll her eyes, she still read it several times as she sat in the garden with the note in one hand and Emily in the other.

When she wasn't think about how much she wished the man would have stayed home with her that day, she was pondering on everything that had happened over that last week. And even though it hurt to think about certain things…she made pretend that it didn't.

A week ago, she would have never thought she would be sitting there like that, waiting for Break to come back to her. Most likely she would be sitting in the library eating something and watching Oz read one of his boring books, or she would be in her room taking a nap since there wasn't anything else to do.

As her thoughts dipped onto different roads of recent memories, she barely noticed the sound of padded footsteps approaching her. She didn't need to look back to know who it was.

"Where were you?" She said, still facing the roses instead of the white haired man.

"Around," he said lightly as he sat down next to her in the grass.

"_Chee"_ Alice pushed the annoyed sound between her teeth and turned further away from him.

He took the letter from her hand and then placed his hand upon hers, "I take it you don't like that answer."

"It wasn't a good answer," she said, fixing her hand more tightly in his despite her cold attitude. After a minute she spoke.

"You went to go see him?"

"…I did."

"You didn't have to do that," she said softly.

"I wanted to."

Alice turned to stare at him, and in an instant Break found arms around his neck and his back hit the ground as Alice literally threw herself at him. The air in his lungs was practically knocked out of him; but he still wrapped his arms around the girl.

"Alice..." he said out of bewilderment since the girl's actions came out of nowhere.

"Why didn't you wake me up before you left?" she said with emotional strain in her voice.

"...Is that what this is about?" He gave a light laugh that vibrated throughout both of their bodies as they lay there. "Would you have let me leave if I woke you up?"

She buried her face deeper in his neck and didn't answer.

For a while they continued to lie in the grass in silence. Break stoked her hair with his fingertips, and inhaled her sweet cinnamon like sent that was mixing with the smell of roses in the garden. He looked up at the semi gray sky; the same sky that didn't quite recover from the violent cloud rage of the previous night.

"Would you feel better if I agreed to wake you up next time?"

He felt her nodded against his chest, and then he shifted them to the side so that he was facing her. He held his head on his hand and used his other hand to caress her cheek. Her amethyst eyes were somewhat wary, but they were still at ease as they looked deeply into his red eye. And yes, there was still pain in those purple orbs even though she was trying to hide it. Slowly, he allowed his hand to descend down her neck and then rest over her heart.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.

She looked down toward his hand and after a moment shook her head.

"Not when we're like this," She whispered, snuggling back up with him.

He gave a heart fluttering smile "Good," he said as a simple response. He kissed her forehead and held her tightly.

"I was thinking that it would be nice to do something today?"

"Like what?"

"Like getting your music box fixed, and perhaps have a nice lunch in town."

She looked up at him, "…Really?"

He nodded and for the first time in days he saw her give him one of those beautiful smiles. It was then that he was reminded why Jack was still hung up over her…and why the man was in that much pain over losing her. Break remembered Oz saying how Alice was his sun…bright and radiant. And now….and now, that sun was his. She kissed his lips with a delicate peck and wrapped her arms around him again.

"You're very affectionate when you miss me...maybe I should leave more often."

She used her knee to give his thigh a harsh nudge, "Don't even joke about that..." She said threateningly in his chest; making the man laugh lightly as he rubbed the bruised area on his leg.

**XXX**

As much as he didn't want to, Oz had sent Gilbert way from him. As soon as Break left the boy removed his hold on the older male and turned his back, requesting "alone time". It was times like that that made Oz feel guilty, forgetting that Gilbert was really sensitive to that kind of rejection. But, unlike other times in the past he didn't fall to his knees in question or cry out multiple pleads to stay in the room… ultimately causing Oz to change his mind.

But none of that meant that he left without verbal resistance and a heartbroken disposition.

Oz needed to think. He needed to consider everything that was happening and what he could possibly do about it. There was an underlying fear in him as well, along with the sadness, and the guilt, there was fear. And he knew it was his own fear...because behind every annoying thought and possible solution was the poking possibility that it wasn't him thinking that way.

For example, every time he wanted to disregard Break's request to leave Alice alone and still go apologize to her, he wondered if it was really him, or was it Jack's tainted feelings trying to justify a reason to go see her? He didn't know...and that's why after two hours, he called Gilbert back in the room.

The man stood in the closed doorway looking relieved, as if he had been let off punishment, or proven innocent after a heavy accusation. And after ten minutes of Gilbert trying to apologize again for not telling Oz about Alice...Oz silenced him and they sat on the bed trying to figure out what to do.

Gilbert sighed, "Maybe that man can help us." he said reluctantly.

"Who?"

"The Fortune Teller. I still don't like him, but he seems like the kind of person that would know what to do about this."

"Yeah...maybe..." Oz said, looking blankly over toward his door.

They sat in a brief silence before Gilbert got up.

"I'm going to head over there. It should only take a few hours."

"I'm coming with you," Oz said quickly.

"Oz-"

"Don't tell me that I need rest. I feel unproductive if I'm just sitting around letting everyone else figure this out for me," he said sadly.

"But-"

Oz got up and rested his forehead on Gilbert's chest, "Besides…Don't you think we've been separated for long enough?"

Gilbert didn't dare challenge that, it was the truth after all.

**-::::::::-**

After Oz got dressed he and Gilbert left the house together. He shook his head when Gilbert felt it necessary to bring a thick blanket with them, insisting that Oz try to rest even on the way to town. For a quarter of the trip Gilbert would lift the blanket and offer it to Oz, and each time Oz refused it. Until the last time when Oz took it out of frustration and wrapped it around himself. When he looked at Gilbert the man seemed satisfy, but he must have been even happier when he saw that Oz's was actually dozing off.

An hour and a half later they reached the town, and Gilbert decided to leave Oz sleeping and go to see the man by himself. The carriage driver parked on a side alley in the center of town and Gilbert set out in the location of the black booth that he remembered was in the small court yard past the tobacco store.

This time, the black booth stood alone. There were no people around to watch jugglers, or magicians doing card tricks, it was quiet and a few pigeons pecked their beaks in between the cracks of the cobbles stones looking for scraps of something to eat. The wind tapped at the leaves on the ground enough to annoy them and flip them over, and the busyness of people seemed to be restricted to the center of town.

Gilbert walked up to the booth and knocked on the wooden part, hoping the man was in there. After a moment the curtain moved to the side.

"Can I help you?" the man said, looking Gilbert over. The man wasn't dressed in a creepy black cloak, and his voice was different. He was dressed in a plain blue shirt and some black slacks. Gilbert was quickly able to deduce that it wasn't the same man.

"..Are you here for a reading?" the man asked, snapping the raven away from his thoughts.

"ah… no. I'm looking for another fortune teller that's here. I have to speak with him."

The man laughed, "Well, I might be able to help you out. Come in." The man disappeared behind the curtain and Gilbert followed. It was much brighter in the room than what Gilbert remembered. He stood near the entrance and watched the man sit at the table; he was in the process of putting a deck of graphic cards back into a box with a carving on it.

"Where's the man that used to be here?" he asked looking around.

The man looked frustrated by Gilbert's question, "He recently relocated. There are many of us that travel from town to town, so it isn't rare for someone new to take over an abandon location."

"Do you know where he is?"

The man shrugged, "I don't know, but I'm sure I can help you out. What's the problem?"

Gilbert wasn't sure it was even worth telling the man, since he may have not been as authentic as the last one, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt, "My master's being possessed by someone. The man who used to be here, he predicted that this would happen. I thought he'd be able to help."

"Possessed, huh? How do you know that's what it is?" he asked.

"It's hard to explain...But we know that's what's going on."

"Have you been to a church?"

Gilbert's brow knitted in brief confusion before he realized what the man was getting at, "It's not that kind of possession, Jack's not a demon."

"Oh, so this person has a name," the man said somewhat sarcastically.

Gilbert nodded.

"Have you been to a doctor?"

Gilbert suppressed a wave of annoyance, "My master's not 'sick'..."

The man didn't look convinced, he got up and with his brows raised in a hopeless _I don't know what to tell you_ type of look on his face as he placed the carved box back on a small shelf, "Well, I don't specialize in that, I'm not sure any fortune teller does. But there are some people that can help."

The raven's eyes filled with hope, "Who?"

The man looked through a book that he had and retrieved a paper, walking over to Gilbert and handing it to him, "They call themselves the Ministry of Freedom. It would take a week or so to get there but if you can make the trip it might be worth it."

Gilbert looked over the paper; it had an address written there, "What do they do?"

The man shrugged, "Various things, their main building is that address right there," he nodded toward the paper, "I ran into them a few times and they recommended that I refer people to them if I came across a story like yours."

"...Are they trustworthy?" the raven said finally.

The man gave a laugh, "Out of all the people I met on my travels they're the nicest. They take pride in helping the troubled. And most of their work is done for free. Don't worry; your master will be well cared for."

"Umm...Thank you," Gilbert said as he looked back at the paper.

"It's no problem. These types of things happen to the best of us," the man smiled.

Gilbert nodded, "Have a good day," he said before he left the booth, he heard the man say something about contacting them for Gilbert to let them know to expect him. And then the man disappeared back behind the curtain.

Before Gilbert went back to the carriage he stopped at the tobacco store and picked up some cigarettes. Then he walked over to a bench to have one.

For some reason, he was unsettled. Even though he had some information about more people that could help them, it all seemed sketchy. The man in the booth was far too vague and Gilbert hated that. Then again, the raven may have not been asking the right questions. He couldn't place it, but, something about what the man said bothered him. It could have been the language he used to explain what these people do; or lack of it. And the fact that they even had a building was odd. There couldn't have been that many people with Oz's situation that the people needed an actual building to support them all.

He raised his chin to the sky and huffed out a smoke cloud, then rolled his head across his shoulders to work out the stress in his muscles. After one last pull of his cigarette he got up and started walking. He knew he was going to have to take a risk with this one. He didn't like taking risk but for Oz's sake he had to do whatever he could. And if that meant taking a week's trip with Oz just to check out whether the people were legitimate than so be it.

**-::::::::- **

Oz was woken by a mix of noises, people laughing and talking, horse huffs hitting the ground, and people coughing. He threw the blankets off of him and looked around the carriage. Gilbert wasn't in there. After a moment of orientating himself to the situation, Oz opened the carriage and stepped out

He was familiar with the alley that he was in, and as he walked out of it he noticed the carriage driver was snoozing in the front. He didn't bother the man and continued to walk out to the main street. Even though it was Sunday it was still buzzing with people. Oz knew he shouldn't have left the carriage but he didn't just want to sit there. However, he was only able to take a few steps away from the alley before he was stopped in his tracks by the sight before him.

Up ahead he saw Break and Alice coming out of the repair shop, although they did not see him. Break had a bag in his hand, and when the couple stood in front of the store he saw Alice take the bag and lift out the music box. She opened it and looked it over several times, and each time that she did her smile grew wider.

He watched her stand there with a solid smile on her face, not the malevolent kind, nor the haughty kind that he was so used to seeing...but the real kind. It was the type of smile that **HE** used to get out of her, the smile that made her his sun. Radiant and beautiful, bright and warm...and now, it was being shown to someone else..._no_, someone else had caused it.

Break caused it.

And it only got worst. Break said something that made her sweet laughter followed right after and Oz clutched at his chest as he saw the white haired man give her cheek a long peck and then take her hand kindly as they began to walk away from the repair shop.

Something in him was screaming and making his heart slam against his frosted ribs with a force of a thousand impatient waves. He fell to his knees, wanting to run so badly, run to them and grab Alice's hand...take her far away from Break. But his legs wouldn't move as they lay bent beneath him on the ground and his hands tugged on his white shirt…wrinkling the neatly pressed fabric. He let his eyes fall to the ground in an unfocused fashion, and his body trembled. Oz didn't even notice the people that walked passed him and whispered baffled words about why he was kneeling in the middle of the street.

**-:::::::::-**

When Gilbert found Oz, the boy's mind was somewhere else. He had to lift Oz from the ground and carry him to the carriage and when they rode back home Oz was unable to tell him what had happened. Oz didn't say anything to him. A fear was growing in Gilbert that made his mind race with a million possibilities as to what happened while he was gone for those few minutes, but Oz refused to confirm any of his questions even when he asked.

It was one of those situations where Gilbert wanted to shake Oz, tell him to snap out of it. Yes, it was a somewhat selfish thought, but it was coming from the perspective of a devoted lover...and not a servant; Gilbert couldn't help but feel that way.

When they got back home Gilbert thought it would be best to make the boy an early dinner, run him a bath, and send him off to bed. For a while Gilbert noticed that Oz would stop and stare at Alice's bedroom door whenever he passed by it in the hall. But, after almost force feeding the blond and preparing his bath, Gilbert thought the boy had gone back to normal. Oz was talking a little more and requesting Gilbert to be with him in the room, but Gilbert wasn't expecting what happened next.

By late evening Gilbert had left Oz awake in the bed so he could make them some tea. When he was done, he walked through the dark hall with the tea in one hand and a lit candle in the other. He was startled to make out a figure standing in the darkest part of the hallway closet to the wall. The person didn't move. When he got closer he saw that it was Oz standing in front of Alice's bedroom door, resting his forehead against it.

When the boy failed to move from the spot, Gilbert called his name. After a moment Oz slowly turned his head to look at the man, and the raven quickly realized...that he was not dealing with "his" Oz at that moment. The look Oz was giving him was murderous. His eye's were hard and a burning dark green. Gilbert never thought that the boy would shift like that with Alice no where in sight.

"Oz" Gilbert swallowed hard. "..I...made you some tea-"

"Why'd you lock it?" he said, turning back and looking at the door.

"I…Think that you should t-try and get some sleep now, Oz."

"Why'd you lock this door, Gilbert?" the boys voice never waved, cracked or faltered, it was stern and cold. It also didn't get past Gilbert that Oz didn't call him Gil.

"I-I'm sorry." Gilbert said quietly.

Oz mumbled something incoherent and walked past Gilbert to get to his own room. Gilbert followed, but when they got there the door was slammed in his face…and locked.

"Oz!" Gilbert called on the other side of the door.

"..Go away."

_Soon, you might not be able to bring him back. _Break's words rang in his head as he stood there speechless and confused. Gilbert only left the boy for ten minutes…and he shifted that quickly. Gilbert was truly afraid…what extent would he have to go to, to get Oz to shift back? And what was the time limit as to how long they could be separated…before a shift took place? Gilbert didn't know…but what he did know was that he needed to get Oz back into the right mind and do it quickly.

**OOO**

It was a late evening by the time Break had finally settled back in the house with Alice. He had bought her a few new things while they were out, and he watched the girl unpacked everything and nestle her belongings next to Break's without hesitation. He was glad she didn't hesitate to make herself at home because that's the way he wanted it to be.

He watched her store her clothes in his closet, hanging dresses on hangers and placing undergarments in the dresser draw blow his shirts. She positioned her music box on the dresser so she could admire it everyday she woke up in the room.

In any other household it would be considered uncustomary to have an unwed couple sharing a room so quickly, but the people who made the customs didn't know Break, and they most certainly didn't know Alice. Also meaning, that even if she had her own space...by nightfall they would end up snuggling together…and they both knew that.

While she tweaked the room to her liking, Break made his way to the living room where Sharon was. Sharon sat on a small blue sofa and engaged in some light reading while Break drank some tea and consumed chocolate cake while reading the Sunday paper he picked up in town. The dim candle light made the room a warm shade of soft orange and the sound of pages turning caused invisible paper cuts to slice through the thin silence.

After a while, Sharon put her book on her lap and looked over to her servant who looked bored with whatever he was reading.

"Liam called while you were out."

"..um. And what did he want?" he asked without looking up from his paper

"He was calling from headquarters. He said that there's going to be a dinner taking place in a few days."

"Really...," he said, only half listening.

"Yes...in your honor," she smiled brightly and got up.

"Come again...?" he asked, seeking clarification on her words. She basically twirled over to the confused man.

"That's right!" she clapped, "He wanted to tell you himself but...I just couldn't wait!"

"Why in the world would they want to do something that pointless?" he asked ambivalently.

"…For the promotion, silly. Don't tell me you've forgotten."

He sighed, "I was never interested in that. I thought it was just a rumor."

"Well it's not! This means you're in charge of what Pandora focuses on for research, no more waiting around for leads. You can do as much investigating on whatever you want."

"I was doing that anyway..." he said as a side comment.

"But now you'll have more help; it will get done quicker. You can have Sablier figured out by the end of the year if everything goes smoothly"

Break's only response was a "hum" sound.

"You don't seem happy about this, Break." She said almost threateningly.

"I'm flattered. But I think I'm going to decline the offer" he said while rolling up his paper.

Sharon was flabbergasted, "You're kidding...This is what you've worked so hard for, why would you-"

"There are too many nosy backstabbers in Pandora. They'll be watching my every move waiting for a slip up so they can move in and do their own research. If I take the position, that's an invitation for someone to try to exploit Alice" he sighed, "I don't want to risk that."

"It's not like anyone knows about you and Alice already...we're good at keeping secrets."

He chuckled, "Then I guess I lost my touch."

"Someone knows...who?"

"Rufus Barma." He watched her eyes widen, "He's plotting something; I can smell it. If he tells anyone about our relationship, Alice will be in danger and I'll be kicked out of Pandora."

She thought to herself for a moment, "What about the seals?..If you don't take the position to learn about Sablier…at least take it for the sake of your health. You can step down after you find that out."

"You have a point," he said.

"See..."

Before Break could continue considering the idea Alice appeared in the doorway. Sharon and Break turned to see her wearing her new white night gown. She leaned her shoulder against the doorway.

"I'm going to bed," she said looking at Sharon briefly before she let her eyes rest on Break. Break could tell that she was using code language which translated into: _I don't want to sleep alone, so hurry up and get in there,_ Break smiled.

"I'll be in there in a minute," he said happily.

Alice smirked and started walking away.

"Good night, Alice," Sharon said warmly.

"Night," the girl said back as she gave a slight wave.

After she walked away, Sharon sighed and turned to Break who was still looking at the doorway with soft eyes.

"I'm happy for you." she said. A genuine smile graced her lips, "I don't think I ever seen you this at peace before."

He looked back at her, "I don't think I ever have been...until now."

Sharon giggled and grabbed his hands in excitement, "Well, all that's left is making a few bundles of joy so that-"

"-So that you can steal each one of them for yourself," he laughed " If you're that obsessed with playing mother then call up and make arraignments with him. He'd be happy to-"

_**SLAP!**_

**_

* * *

_**

Ok...so, lets look at the first 10 chapters as the "building of relationships, minor conflicts, and the discovery of Oz's problem" and now the next chapters will be about fixing Oz and keeping Break and Alice 'hush hush' plus more LOL. I love it! Man...there's many surprises in this..good surprises ;-D ( and to all of you keen readers I've been dropping many clues throughout this whole story about one of them XD ) anyway, I'm hella excited to start this new "season" of this fic. Stay tuned. Oh and yes, there will be more Ozbert lemons in this but not for a few chapters, and of course the Brealice lemons. Actually, there's an official Brealice lime in the next chapter YEAH Finally.

P.S. If you don't see any updates for a month...I'm still around it's just because I have 5 heavy classes, a job, I'm trying to study abroad in the spring so I'm running around taking care of paper work :) and I'll be volunteering throughout the semester...so I'm swamped...but I'll try to update at least once a month. Kay :D

Thanks for reading,

Rage.


	11. Stealing Sugar and Spices

I'm sooooo soo sorry :,( please forgive the wait lovelies, I just went through four months of pure hell. My hands are still shaking LOL the edits probably bad because I can't stand looking at this anymore LOL

**WARNING: Lime.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it's characters._

_

* * *

_

**XXX Stealing Sugar and Spices XXX**

It was one of those moments in the night that the ones sleeping were not aware of their movements in bed, nor the sighs that they emitted as they curled up with their bed partner. "Natural" would be the only word that could describe Alice's actions as she nestled closer into the body that was holding her, and "content" would be the word attached to the sigh she made in her slumber; a long sigh, one of comfort. In every way the moment was peaceful; the relaxed muscles of their faces, the way their breath was even and steady- yet not in sync with one another. Not to forget the way their limbs touched, Break's left arm wrapped around her lower back, and Alice's lightly made fist rest close to her mouth, while her forehead lay against his neckline.

_Crash! _

Break's eyes flew open when he heard the sound of glass breaking in the house. No, the sound was not close by, it must have been downstairs, and someone who was a deep sleeper would have slept right through it; but since he wasn't...

_Crash!_

Break released his hold on Alice and sat up in bed, taking a minute to make sure he wasn't imagining things. He was already having suspicions as to what it was, and by the sound of it, it sounded like a window...or two. The white haired man crawled off of his large bed and slid his feet into his slippers, then lit a candle. He put on his robe before he headed for the door. And when he reached for the knob...

"Break...what is it?"

Break looked back and saw that Alice was sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of one of her pretty purple eyes with a her small fist.

"The wind must have knocked over a vase. Silly me….I forgot to close the windows earlier" he fibbed.

"…Oh," she said, before flopping back down in the bed and curling up without him.

When Break got on the other side of the door, he was tempted to lock it behind him; at least until he knew no one had intruded into the home. He figured he'd be wasting time looking for the key, so instead he hurried down the hall and tapped on Miss Sharon door. When she didn't answer he peeked in and found that she was still asleep on her round bed.

He closed the door and continued down the hall until he got to the stair case. With gentle steps, he walked down the first flight, staying alert and looking for anything out of place - and he soon found it. There at the front door were two broken windows.

Break looked around and didn't see anyone standing in the large entrance hall, but he did notice two objects that were used to break the windows: two big rocks and one had paper tied around it. He walked over and picked up the one with the paper then released it from around the rock. He walked back over to the candle and read what it said:

_You're a dirty thief, and I WILL take her back. When you least expect it._

That was all that was written there. Break sighed and folded the paper, placing it in the pocket of his robe. He looked around him at the shattered glass and felt frustration eating away at his patience. He would have to go to the basement and retrieve some flat wood to cover up the broken windows.

But first he would need to finish checking the house for the "intruder" and make a quick phone call.

**XXX**

The raven continued to snore away as he sat up against Oz's bedroom door. He had fallen asleep there after Oz had banished his presence from the room and locked him out. He would have gone to his own room if it weren't for his strong desire to remain close to the boy; even if he couldn't hold him. And there was also hope in his heart that Oz would snap back and open the door to let him in.

But that didn't happen.

In the middle of a light sway that would have sent the rest of the man's body to the floor, the sound of the phone ringing down the hall alerted his mind and drew him out of sleep. Gilbert instantly caught himself swaying and sat up quickly, then he sniffled in some dry air before he dragged his body up and head to the phone; still half asleep.

As he walked he rubbed his sore neck, reminding himself to bring a pillow and a blanket the next time he tried to sleep in front of a door. The phone continued to ring and he wondered who would have been calling at a disgusting hour like that. The raven arrived in the dinning room and picked up the phone.

" Hello?" he said drowsily.

"Gilbert, have you lost anything recently?" the voice said.

"Huh?..." the raven scratched his head, "Break? What are you talking about?"

"Oz...Where is he?"

"Asleep," he said through a yawn.

"Were you in the room with him?"

"Ah...well no, he-"

"Go check on him."

"What? Why?"

"Go" Break said urgently.

Gilbert sighed, "…hold on."

Gilbert walked down the hall, taking the bedroom key out of his pocket and inserting it into Oz's door. He took a deep breath before he opened it, thinking that Oz would wake up and yell at him.

Once inside Gilbert noticed that the boy's bed was disheveled and the window was wide open. His heart was slowly lowering into a sick heap in his stomach. The raven raced over to the window only to look out into the black night and not hear a sound, or see anyone there.

Gilbert dashed backed down the hall and picked up the phone in the dinning room.

"He...he's gone!" Gilbert said out of breath.

"I figured as much…(sigh)"

"Is he over there? Did you see him or something?" Gilbert blurred out without taking a breath.

"No, I haven't seen him" The white haired man said lazily, "But he most definitely stopped by"

"How do you know that?" Gilbert pressed.

"Well, Oz was nice enough to leave us a parting gift."

"Gift?"

"You know, a few broken windows, a hand written threat… nothing too fancy."

"Damn," Gilbert mumbled as he slammed the phone down.

**OOO**

Alice couldn't sleep properly without the man in the bed. She sat up and recalculated how long Break had been gone, it had been fifteen minutes. As she looked around the dark room her eyes came to rest on the window; there was no moonlight. She walked over to it and looked out into the night.

She assumed that she was just really tired since she could swear that she saw a dark figure standing on the lawn next to a tree. She should have written it off, knowing it wasn't real...it _couldn't_ have been. But when the figure moved slightly she squinted her eyes and moved her head forward to get a better look.

It moved again.

This time the person started walking away, as if they were going to disappear in the woods. Alice gasped slightly when the person stopped and seemed to turn and look back at the house; almost like they could sense her watching. The person seemed to stare up at the window she was in…like they could see her. It was absurd to think that since it was dark in the bedroom, she couldn't be visible...or was she?

Alice took a shaky step away from the window, but still kept her eyes on the mysterious person. Then she saw them turn and continued to walk away-vanishing into the dark trees.

Alice's adrenaline was rushing through her blood, and she quickly began to bite on the nail of her index finger as she took three more steps away from the window. She turned around and hurried out of the room. Alice stopped herself from running down the hall, even though her legs wanted to. What if something happen to Break? What if that person hurt him or something, and that's why he was gone for so long.

Alice raced down the stairs, bear feet hitting the carpeted steps and leading her down to the entrance hall where she found Break sweeping up glass.

"What happened?" she asked, momentarily forgetting about the person she saw outside.

The man looked up at her, and his eyes became gentle as he smiled reassuringly.

"A bitter soul probably broke the windows out of spite...it happens some times, commoners attacking the homes of the well off..." he sighed and looked to the mangled windows.

"You don't think it was someone we know?" she asked, looking around as if there were someone lurking in the shadows. She rubbed her upper left arm with her right hand since goose bumps were appearing on her skin.

"No one we know would attempt something like this" he lied, "Don't worry, whoever it was, is long gone by now."

She didn't look convinced, and she also was trying hard not to look afraid either.

"Will you do me a favor?" he asked, walking up to the girl who was still standing on the last carpeted step. He placed his warm hands on her upper arms and rubbed them.

"What?" she asked quietly.

He kissed her lips before he spoke, "Can you go keep the bed warm for me, its unpleasant getting under cold blankets," he smiled.

"Don't you need help?" she asked quickly, knowing she didn't want to stay up there alone.

He laughed, "You're thinking of helping me with nothing on your feet?" he said, looking at her bear toes that would surly get torn by glass if she set foot off the step.

"I'll get my shoes," she said as a quick fix.

"That's not necessary" he chuckled, seeing right through the girls fear, "I'm almost done. But you're welcome to sit here and keep me company."

She nodded and pecked his lips, finally sitting on the step as the man in front of her took off his cream robe and paced it around her arms so she'd be warm while she waited. After he fixed it around her, he slipped his hand into the pocket and got out the note, putting it in striped night pants instead. Alice saw what he did with the paper, but didn't ask about it.

"...then we'll have some cake before we go to sleep," he said as a side comment as he hummed a small tune and continued sweeping.

**-::::::::-**

They brought their plates upstairs and got back on the bed. Alice sat facing Break with one leg tucked beneath her and the other leg hanging over the side of the mattress, and Break mirrored her, but he sat with his back against the pillows. She positioned the cake in front of her and began to eat some.

For a while the sound of clanking forks echoed on the plates as they cut off small pieces of the soft confection. And when Alice finished her cake first, Break took turns feeding himself and then feeding her some of his. She watched him finish up the few last bites, since she was already full.

"Break?"

"umh. Yes my dear?" he said finally looking up from his plate.

"...I saw someone outside while you were downstairs."

Break's eyes quickly filled with concern as he lowered his fork to listen.

"Do you think it was the person who broke the windows?" she asked softly.

His eyes floated to the window, "Most likely."

Alice opened her mouth to speak again, and then she closed it and looked back down at her empty plate. After a moment she felt Break's index finger under her chin, tilting it upward so she could stare at him. He stared back at her briefly before he leaned in and kissed her lips. When he pulled away from her he took the plates and placed them on the bed side table. He patted the side of the bed so that she could crawl up and get under the covers with him.

When she did, they resumed their snuggling position. And he whispered to her in the darkness as he tightened his hold on her.

"You're safe here," he whispered in her ear.

"I know..."she said, closing her eyes and allowing his warmth to guide her back to sleep.

**XXX**

Gilbert was out searching for Oz for two hours. He rode all the way to the Rainsworth mansion, and searched the grounds, seeing the two broken windows that were now board up. He figured that Oz would have not stuck around after that. So he traveled on the main roads, on the back roads, and even tied up the horse so he could search through some of the dark forest on foot. Nothing, he didn't find the boy.

He finally turned back to go home with intentions on alerting the police and having them send out a search party, and then going right back out to search again. But...when he got into the house there he was; Oz was sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea as though he were there the whole time.

"Oz..."Gilbert said, quickly walking up to him.

The boy looked up at him.

"Where have you been? I was searching everywhere," Gilbert said with a bit of anger.

"Here," Oz said as he looked the man over, "I've been up hoping you'd come back, I got worried when I couldn't find you?"

Gilbert shook his head in disbelief. "You...you weren't here, Oz. You've been missing for two hours, maybe more."

"No I haven't..."

Gilbert stooped down in front of the boy and cupped the sides of his face, "What's the last thing you remember?"

Oz looked away in deep thought, "You went to made us some tea but I must have fallen asleep...I woke up in bed."

Gilbert shook his head in disappointment, "Ok..." the raven looked down letting his hands slip away from the boy's face as he stood up.

"You don't believe me?"

"I do. I believe that you don't remember what happened after that."

"W-what happened" the boy asked carefully.

Gilbert thought about not telling the boy, but then he remembered how that decision turned out the last time he tried that.

"You went to Sharon's house, and broke some of the windows."

Oz shook his head "no" he didn't believe it, "Who saw me do it?"

"No one saw you...but, Break-"

"Then how do you know it was me?" Oz said, trying to tap at the idea that he could be innocent.

"You were already missing by that time. Where else could you have gone?"

Oz looked down; he still didn't want to believe that he was that out of control, to the point that he would start breaking his friend's windows.

"I think we should leave tomorrow. We need to get you some help," Gilbert said, determined to get to the bottom of everything and get the boy back to normal.

"I'm sorry..." Oz said sadly, feeling bad that he was causing everyone so much stress.

"You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault that these things are happening."

"If we leave tomorrow, what do we tell my uncle?"

"We'll think about that latter...you should go back to bed," the man said, turning away from the boy so he could get rid of the empty tea cup.

"Gil, can I sleep in your room tonight?"

Gilbert looked over at the boy and nodded, "It's all yours" he felt bad that he was only half engaged in his response, but his mind was thinking about other things.

"You're not coming?" Oz asked as Gilbert walked over to the sink, attempting to wash out the cup, "I'll be in there soon," he said turning on the facet.

He didn't realize the boy was behind him until Oz buried his face in Gilbert's back, hands clutching the back of his jacket as they stood there.

The raven stopped what he was doing so he could acknowledge the boy; he turned his body and gave the boy a quick embrace before he started walking with him.

Once they got in the room, Oz got on the bed and waited for Gilbert to take off his jacket and follow him. The man kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket on the chair and placed his hat on his coat before he crawled in bed with the boy.

As Gilbert held him, he tried not to be confused, he tried his best to appreciate the fact that he could even hold the boy...that Oz was in his usual mind, and being affectionate.

But in all actuality, the constant personality shifting was hard for Gilbert to adjust to. It left his yellow eyes wide awake and his heart afraid of how long he'd actually get to enjoy holding Oz like that. It was one of those situations where you'd rather turn down experiencing joy... than be teased with sporadic spurts of it.

**-:::::::::- **

After he assumed that Oz was fast asleep, Gilbert got up quietly and went to his closet looking for the only thing that would get his eyes to close. He silently grabbed what he was looking for and walked out of the room, down the hall, and out the side door to the kitchen.

Once outside, he took a deep breath and sat down on the step. He began to indulge in the stress loosening liquid that he held tightly in his hand. After twenty minutes his mind was gone, and he slipped into a sloppy sleep on the veranda. He would have never known about the tear filled green eyes that had been watching him from the kitchen window the whole time.

**XXX**

Gilbert got up to the chill of early morning air; air that crawled over his skin and bit it sharply. The sun was almost up, and three black birds were on the lawn picking at the grass looking for dew covered worms.

Gilbert popped up when he realized that he had fell asleep outside. And the quick movements made his hangover present itself with a dull pang in his skull and a sickening feeling in his stomach. He pushed past it, knowing he needed to get the morning started and that he needed to pretended that he didn't get drunk and fall asleep outside. He got up and his rubbed his bloodshot eyes, before he wiped his hand down the length of his face; deciding to take a bath to help refresh him.

**-::::::::::-**

After his early bath, Gilbert was avid on beginning to pack his clothes and Oz's for the trip. He zoomed between his room and Oz's, quietly opening draws and closets and packing two large suitcases at the same time. He filled them with the regular stuff: pants, shirts, night shirts, sweaters, under clothes, medical supplies, money, everything that they would need. In the middle of folding a sweater he watched Oz wake up with a yawn and curious eyes.

"Hey," Gilbert said, when he noticed the boy watching him.

"Good morning, you're up early," Oz said, as he sat up.

"I want us to leave after breakfast,"

Oz looked over at the clock, "...guess I should get up then."

"You can keep resting if you want. There's no rush," Gilbert responded.

A quiet entered the room briefly, and Oz broke it with small talk," Where are we going again?"

"The Ministry of Freedom, It's in Perretta."

"Perretta's pretty far" Oz said, remembering that he was only in the small town once when he was a kid.

"Yeah..."

"Do you think they can help me?" Oz asked.

"If they can't, we'll find someone else" the raven said simply, not fazed by the idea that they may not accomplish their goal on the first try.

During the silence Oz observed Gilbert. The raven's eyes were reddish and he looked pale and sleepy. Oz knew exactly where the man had been that previous night and what he had been doing, and that's why it hurt so much to see him like that. The man seemed distant and Oz felt more than responsible. The blond bit his lip in despair, finding it hard to keep up his "play dumb" act since he knew what was going on with his lover.

"Gil, are you Ok?" Oz asked, hoping the man would open up to him and they could have an honest conversation.

"What do you mean?" he asked, closing the suitcase and putting it on the floor.

"You seem...umm, upset," the blond wanted to rip his tongue out; that wasn't the way he wanted it to come out.

Gilbert blinked, and studied Oz for a moment before he spoke, "I'm fine. Anyway...what do you want for breakfast," Gilbert's sudden shift of topic signaled Oz to shut the hell up and leave him alone. It took Oz a minute to jump to a casual line of thought so he struggled to get out his response.

"Oh...I don't care. Whatever you feel like making."

Gilbert nodded and walked out of the room, mumbling that he'd be back with the food. As soon as he was out of the room Oz smacked his palm against his forehead; wondering when he lost the ability to get Gilbert to open up to him.

**-:::::::::-**

After breakfast Oz got dressed and they finally pulled Oscar aside to tell him they were leaving. They gathered in the kitchen and Oz sat across from his uncle, and Gilbert sat beside Oz. Oscar actually looked a bit distressed by the sudden "meeting" but there was no way around it. And yes, they decided to lie, just to keep things simple and quick.

"I don't know if I like the sound of this," Oscar said in response to the lie they made up about doing an investigation for Break – without Alice.

"It's only for a few days," Oz said quickly.

"It's dangerous. A mission like this would require Alice's help, and I thought Pandora decided that you wouldn't be assigned to any more missions because of how advanced your seal is."

"We're not going into battle, we're only checking things out," Gilbert chimed in.

"And you're telling me Alice isn't going?" Oscar asked.

"She isn't," Oz said.

Oscar sat back in the wooden chair, hand going to his beard to stroke it, critical eyes floating between the both of them, "Humm...what's really going on here? What are you both up to?" the man asked with dark suspicion.

"Nothing. It's Break's orders," Oz said innocently.

"I know what this is. You're trying to go on a little vacation together - _without _me!" the older man said abruptly.

"No! I mean- what?" Oz was more than confused by the man's comment.

"HA, HA. You're a sneaky pair. You thought if you lied and made it sound important that 'old uncle Oscar wouldn't want to tag along'"

"Oscar, we really-" Gilbert tried to clarify the lie, but Oz stopped him.

"Looks like you caught us red handed, ha...ha," Oz said, scratching the back of his head with a guilty smile.

"I knew it!" the man said triumphantly, "You can't get something like that passed me; After all, I used to do things like that when I was your age. One time my friend Finnegan and I, we-"

"Since you found us out, you wouldn't mind if we get going? Would you?" Oz asked, knowing they may be there or months listening to stories about the 'good old days'.

"Of course, go on and have fun. I hold down the fort while you're gone," he said with a warm smile.

"Thanks Uncle Oscar. C'mon Gil," Oz feigned excitement and forced himself into character, jumping out of his seat "I'll get our stuff" the blond said cheerfully while he walked out of the room.

For a split second, Gilbert was convinced that Oz had either cured himself or that Jack had disappeared, and that their lives were back to normal...but only for a second.

As Gilbert got up to follow the boy he was stopped by the arm that came over his shoulders.

"You know what this means, don't you, Gilbert?" Oscar said in a whisper.

"Ah...what?"

"This means Oz is in your complete care, he's _your_ responsibility. So if anything happens to him..." Oscar took his index finger and dragged it across his throat with a _keeekke_ sound for emphasis, then poked that finger into Gilbert's chest making him gulp and stumble back.

"HA HA! I'm just joking," the older male said, slapping Gilbert in the back playfully,

"-But seriously, make sure you call me every few days to check in, just so I know you two are alright," he smiled.

"I will. And I won't let anything happen to him," Gilbert said faithfully.

"More importantly – make sure you bring me back a souvenir," Oscar laughed, ruffling Gilbert's black hair as he walked passed him, mumbling something about how crazy love birds make up the darnedest lies.

**-:::::::::-**

Gilbert made sure they didn't stay a minute longer than necessary. He literally tossed the luggage into the carriage and made sure Oz was comfortable before he shut the door and got in the drivers seat. Yes, he decided to drive so he could control the speed at which they traveled and not have to worry about accommodating the driver's needs when they stopped at Inns for the night.

Gilbert put on his white gloves and sighed deeply before he ran through a mental check list so he could remember if he forgot anything. When he was sure that he packed everything, he pulled the reigns and the carriage started moving.

"GIL!" Oz cried out from the back.

Gilbert stopped the carriage and hopped out the front to see what was the matter with the boy.

"What's wrong," he asked, opening the carriage door.

"I forgot something," Oz said as he got out the carriage and ran across the lawn.

The boy was back in a flash and Gilbert looked him over, wondering what the boy grabbed. Then he saw the glistening golden item in Oz's fist. The raven averted his gaze, he didn't really know why but-was starting to hate that damn pocket watch, since it was so...so Jack related. The thought ran across his mind that he'd actually be please if Oz accidentally lost it while they were on the trip.

"You could have left that here. I have a watch on me."

"I know. I just feel naked without out it."

Gilbert gave him a look that said "_fine whatever"_ before he got into the drivers seat once more.

**OOO**

He held her hand as they walked together in the market place and gathered groceries for the house. In the other hand he carried a paper bag with different fruits and vegetables, letting her hand go briefly so he could slip her an apple to munch on as they went into a small shop to pick up some spices.

She waited near the open front door, taking a bite of the fruit as she looked over the paper hanging on the wall. The paper spoke about a food festival that would be happening a few towns over. She made a mental note to tell Break about it.

Her eyes skimmed the paper and from the corner of her eye she caught sight of someone outside. The man stood lazily in front of a bookstore. Their eyes locked, and a smile crept onto his lips as he lifted a hand and gave her a little wave of acknowledgment. She glared at him; wondering why he seemed pleased to see her...out of all people.

"Alice...Alice?" Break said trying to get the girls attention. The girl looked back at Break and then back at the bookstore. The red head was gone.

"What's wrong?"

"I…thought I-"she continued to look at the bookstore thinking the man would pop up again, but he didn't, "Nothing..." she said finally.

Break gently turned her cheek and looked her in the eyes; he could tell she saw something disturbing.

"Who did you see?"

Alice was surprised that the man sounded so concerned. Usually when someone says "nothing" the person asking believes them, writing it off as the imagination at work. But not this time, Break actually appeared to believe that she saw someone, even though there was no proof.

"I-"

"Hey, are you planning to pay for those?"

Break and Alice turned around seeing the store owner look angrily at the bag of ginger and nutmeg that Break had in his hand. Break sighed and mumbled something that Alice didn't catch as he made his way to the counter.

"Impatience is a vice, young man," Break said in a sing song tone as he begrudgingly made his way to the counter.

Alice found her eyes floating back over to the bookstore. She began wondering if the red head was the one who broke the windows the night before, since she was somewhat aware that the man didn't like Break. But why would he wait until then to do it? And...why did Break look so concerned that she saw someone...almost like he was expecting something like that to happen.

**XXX**

A days worth of travel led them to an early rest at an inn located in a busy town with a name that was irrelevant to their travels. It was not a memorable place, with its typical buildings and its restless dwellers; dwellers that had seen so many people pass through their town that they didn't bother to look back twice when they saw Gilbert and Oz ride through the streets. Everyone was absorbed into themselves, sweeping through their lives like brooms across the floor; some quick and hurriedly, and others slow and lackadaisical.

Gilbert would have rather travel straight through each town without stopping at Inns. They would surely lose time that way. But with the state Oz was in he knew the boy needed a bed to sleep in every night, not a hard carriage seat or the cold ground. So after he paid the clerk behind the desk for a one night stay, he took the key from the man's hand and walked with Oz up the stairs to the top floor, bringing the luggage with them.

He supposed the room was "cozy" it had a small yellow lounge chair against the wall, and two beds running parallel to one another; bed's with heavy blue blankets and yellow pillow covers. And each bed had a white knitted pillow on it. There was also a small balcony attached to the room.

He watched Oz flop down on one of the beds and skim the room with his eyes. As he observed the boy he felt something squeeze his heart a little. There was something in him that wanted to hold the boy and just stay like that, but he kept his distance instead.

**-:::::::-**

Gilbert stood on the small balcony and looked over the edge; they were on the third floor, so the view was nice. He was able to look out into the settling city, light post flicker in the distance and on the ground couples walked arm in arm as they walked the streets.

As he stood there he inhaled tobacco smoke, feeling a rush in his blood when the substance traveled through his body. In his other hand he held a silver flask, one that contained the strongest whiskey available. He looked back into the room briefly making sure Oz wasn't watching; noting that the bathroom door was still cracked so the boy must have still been soaking in the tub. Gilbert sighed before he unscrewed the metal cap and took two swigs of the harsh fluid.

That's all he needed, just two sips...to take the edge off.

Honestly...the man was beyond stressed. His shoulders had been tense ever since Break had arrived that past Sunday. The combination of everything that happened had his hands shaking every so often and his head pounding. He supposed the only positive thing was that Oz's "Middle personality" hadn't shown itself since the previous night. However, that didn't mean the affects weren't still there. Every time Gilbert would stop the carriage to check on him the boy he was either sleeping or he just seemed to get sadder the father they got away from the home, but he worked hard to hide it. Oz was quiet, distant. Sometimes he would want to sit up font with Gilbert so he could be close to him...and sometimes he didn't.

Gilbert coughed a few times as an after effect from the alcohol burn in his throat. Yes...it was all he could do at that point; self medicate and make pretend he was riding out each event as calmly as possible; for Oz's sake.

He almost laughed when he thought back to the moments that he believe he was on top of the world. Those few days he was in heaven. For the most part, he had Oz to himself; the boys smile, his laugh, his affection, his heart...Gilbert claimed it, it was his...

But now...

Gilbert rolled his eyes at the thought...at Jack's existence and the conflict that it caused. Before he let his anger consume him, he took one more sip of whiskey and screwed the cap back on the flask, then died out his cigarette; it was mostly ash by that point anyway.

He walked back into the room and hid the flask in his suitcase, right underneath his slacks. And when he saw the gold pocket watch lying on the bed he suppressed a frustrated sigh. Gilbert tapped on the bathroom door and when Oz didn't answer he poked his head in, seeing that the boy was slow slipping down in the water as he slept in the tub. Gilbert hated to think of what would have happen if he waited longer to go into the bathroom.

"Oz," he called the boys name sternly, watching him jolt out of his lucid sleep, tired eyes turning on Gilbert as the man walked over to him and bent down next to the tub.

"If you were tired you should have gone to bed. You can drown like this,"

Oz pulled himself up in the water, "I think I just nodded off suddenly," the boy said, watching Gilbert look him over with concern. Gilbert's golden eyes fell on the area of Oz's seal.

After a moment the man spoke, "Why is your chest red?"

Oz looked down at himself and shrugged, "My skins irritated," he said, hand unconsciously going to his seal so he could scratch at it some more, Gilbert stopped his hand "Don't...you'll make it worst," he sighed deeply and stood up, heading over to grab a towel for the boy, "I think there's some ointment in the suitcase."

Gilbert didn't notice that the heavy sigh that he expelled also let out the fumes of alcohol that had been lingering on his breath. Oz could smell it, and he felt his heart tighten as he looked down at the water, "...you've been drinking?" the blond asked softly.

Gilbert cut his eyes at the boy, "I'm not drunk; if that's what you're asking..." he said defensively; quiet bitterness lacing his words.

"I know that...It's just, you've been drinking a lot more ever since-"

"Everyone drinks from time to time...I'm no different," Gilbert said as a matter of fact.

The boy looked over at him, "Yes you are."

This comment made Gilbert turn his attention back on the boy.

"As far as I know, you've only had drinks a few times since I've been back from the Abyss...and that was only if we were celebrating. But now that I-"

"Stop it," the raven said sharply, "Where ever you're going with this, it's not true,"

"Then what is it!" the boy snapped. Gilbert's eyes widened at the boy's outburst, and when the raven was at a loss of words, he saw Oz lower his eyes with a sadden expression, "I know it's me, Gil. You don't have to make pretend that it's not."

"How can you blame yourself for my choices? It's has nothing to do with you" the man retorted.

"You're lying."

"I'm not!" Gilbert's loud voice bounced off the tile walls and echoed a bit in the bathroom, being the last thing that was heard before a desperate silence over took them both. If one were to listen carefully they would have heard the dripping of the tub faucet leaking in the now tepid bath water; and the tiny sound of fizzling bubbles as they reduced themselves to deflated patches of pathetic foam.

"I didn't mean to yell at you," Gilbert said as his downcast eyes skimmed the bathroom floor.

"It's ok," he gave a quick half smile; still looking down at the water he sat in, "I wasn't trying to judge you,"

Gilbert hated that the boy was blaming himself, Oz already had enough to worry about, and he didn't need anything else added to it. Even though Gilbert wasn't really sure he could stick to the words at that point, he still said them anyway.

"...You don't have to worry about it anymore," Gilbert said, stooping down next to the boy and running his fingers through his blond hair, "I'll stop," This made Oz look up.

"I didn't bring it up to be bossy, I-"

"I know, you're worried about me," Gilbert said giving the boys cheek a small kiss "But that should be the last thing on your mind right now,"

"It's not," Oz responded.

"Now it can be."

Before the man had a chance to get up Oz turned toward him in the tub and spoke quietly to him, "Gil, if I'm the one causing you pain...then let me to be the way you get rid of it..."the boy said sincerely, letting his wet hands slide up the man's cheek, Gilbert didn't understand what the boy was getting at until Oz kissed him, "I don't care how you do it...as long as..."

Oz continued to kiss the mans lips until Gilbert began to kiss him back, he could tell that the man wasn't expecting that and that Gilbert must have had a lot of stress built up because of the way the man began to respond.

Oz was preparing himself for the impact, he welcomed it, wanted it, wanted to know that Gilbert could still rely on him for something - even if it was only providing the mans body a loving escape...and a hard release.

And for Oz, it would work as a reminder to him that 'Oz Vessalius' was still alive and not becoming absorbed into an alter ego that was birthed from someone's heart broken soul.

Gilbert reacted instantly...understanding Oz's unspoken message loud and clear and wanting to seize the offer immediately. The thought of being able to have Oz back...the thought of making love to him went beyond the physical desire and dived into something deeper. To Gilbert, Oz's body wouldn't be his tool for "physical stress relief", nor a way to take his anger out, but it would be healing him on a physiological and emotional level.

It meant Oz wasn't being influenced by Jack, and that Alice wasn't on his mind; it meant that he had his "whole Oz" back; the Oz who would hold nothing back from him, the Oz he saw that day as they lay in bed together and the boy gave Gilbert his body and let their souls touch, the Oz that relied on him, and trusted him, shed tears in his absences, and clung to him when they slept...

And that's why Gilbert almost climbed into the tub with the boy, sleeves getting soaked in the now cold water as he kissed the boy backward in the tub, feeling Oz part his legs as he sat back on one hand and held the other against the back of Gilbert's neck. Gilbert pulled away briefly so he could climb in, clothes and everything. That's until he saw the blond scratch as his seal.

It was a quick gesture, one that would have gone unnoticed, but not by Gilbert's sharp eyes and fragile feelings. For a moment Gilbert was only able to look at the red distorted area but it was enough to freeze the hot passion out of his loins and take the lust out of his yellow eyes.

Gilbert got up, wet sleeves dripping water onto the floor as he stood there for a second then turned to pass Oz his towel.

"Gil..." Oz said, voice a confused whisper, hesitantly taking the towel.

"I can't...not right now," the man said, never once looking at the boy, "Let just go to bed."

Gilbert finally headed toward the door, and as he reached for the knob Oz spoke.

"I'm yours Gil...you know that," The boy said firmly. "Let me prove it to you-"

"You don't have to prove anything...I believe you," he said as he walked out of the bathroom without looking back.

It was one of the first moments that Oz was able to fully experiencing his own soul in totality and painful emotional clarity that came with it. No murkiness clouded the stabbing feeling that plunged through him when he saw Gilbert leave the room. It was always there in his reality, always. Gilbert's pain was so real and pounding, and Oz had been ignoring it, dancing around it, because...because he was so consumed with himself.

The message was loud and agonizing...Gilbert still didn't believe Oz was his, and the seal probably reminded him of the connection he had with Alice, and how that had been interfering with everything between them. Oz now understood that Gilbert wasn't just generally stressed - he was emotional confused.

And it was nothing like when the confusion first started. Back then, Oz could still maintain his own happiness…even if Jack was sad; which probably put Gilbert more at ease. But then it began to leak through and shift Oz as well…shift him away from Gilbert. But now he and Jack suffered for different reasons, bring him to the lowest level that he had ever been at.

What was he going to do? Especially if he wasn't himself half the time, and the other time he was so drained by Jack's depression... so lost that he couldn't even keep his own lover from hurting. He had a hard time swallowing, as he stared at the door, and the air finally seemed to freeze the water droplets on his skin.

**-::::::::::-**

It shouldn't have been that way, waking up to a chilly breeze that swept over his face and down his shoulders. The raven didn't think that opening his eyes was going to lead his vision to the open balcony door, nor did he think that the bed that Oz occupied would be empty, but it was.

Without thinking he got up and let his feet lead him onto the balcony. Gilbert didn't know his heart was beating so fast until it started tripping up when he found the boy standing with his bear feet in between the cast iron railing, the wind played with his blond hair as his body seemed to lean forward. If he were a bird, his wings would have been flapping softly, preparing him for a flight off the high patio and off into the blank nothingness of the night.

"Oz..." Gilbert said softly, not wanting to startle the boy and cause him to fall. Even though Oz didn't turn to say anything, Gilbert still approached him cautiously, minimizing the space between them before he gently took hold of the boy's arm and steadied him away from the ledge. The boy's feet were once again planted on the patio; Gilbert breathed a sigh of relief and tried to prevent his worry words form overwhelming the boy.

"Why are you out here like this?" he asked as calmly as possible.

When the boy finally turned around to stare at him, Gilbert eyes widened at what he saw. The boy's night shirt was soiled with light traces of blood...blood that was positioned over his heart...almost as if he tried to rip it out the beating organ with his bear hands.

"O-Oz..."

The boy looked of into the night as he spoke, "I'm hindering him...you know. And I don't think he wants to keep existing ...if he can't have her."

Gilbert took the boy by the shoulders and turned him so they were face to face, "Then let him die...but he's _not _taking you with him" Gilbert was furious even though his voice was not loud. He looked at the blood with disgust, and listened to what Oz was saying with absolute detest. It wasn't right, none of it, and it made Gilbert extremely suspicious of other things as well, like Oz falling asleep in the tub. Maybe it was less about being sleepy-and more Jack's fatalistic attempt to end his existence.

Gilbert couldn't help himself, he scooped the boy up into his arms and carried him into the room, placing him on the bed before he rushed to grab his suitcase and get out the box that had the medical supplies. When another breeze hit his back he was quick to go to the balcony door and close it, then turn the lock.

Oz watched him with tired eyes and when Gilbert walked over the man quickly took the boys shirt off. Some of the blood was already drying, and as Gilbert began to clean the cut in the boy's skin, he knew he would literally not leave the boy's side; especially that night.

**XXX**

It was five in the morning and the raven woke up to the sound of deep whimpers beside him. When he turned on the oil lamp, he could see that Oz had ripped off his bandages and was once again scratching at his skin, the boy was biting his lip, and his eyes were hammered shut as his hands clung to the space over his heart. Gilbert immediately wrestled Oz's fingers away from his skin and pinned them to the bed, watching the boy turn every which way to free himself.

It was like watching someone have severe withdrawals from one of those exotic drugs from over seas...the kind that was easy to come by but hard to let go when you finally tried to. Gilbert supposed it was a form of withdrawal...Jack's inability to be close to Alice made Oz's body toxic with pain and whatever else was coursing through him.

It was horrible.

Gilbert's own heart was falling to pieces when he heard the boy saying "It hurts." And Gilbert could only asked the boy what was hurting him...was it his heart? Was it his skin? It was hard to tell, and Oz could barely say anything else. When the tears started flowing the raven instinctively kissed the boy's cheeks and drank the bitter liquid, slowly and softly trying to sooth him, because there was obviously nothing else he could do.

He continued to hover over the boy, landing sweet kisses on whatever space his lips could reach, before he finally allowed his lips to descend down onto the boy's chest. The color red painted the raven's lips as he lightly kissed the broken skin, and he was surprised to hear Oz begin to quiet. The metallic taste of the boy's blood entered his mouth and Gilbert could swear that he could taste the anguish that the boy was experiencing.

But with every kiss he could feel Oz calming beneath him, until the only thing that could be felt was an occasional shiver and a small sigh.

Witnessing the boy's reaction was making Gilbert began to wonder if he had been approaching the situation wrong. Maybe it was less helpful to distance himself from the boy, and more helpful to treat the boy with the same amount of physical love that he had been before the emotional chaos took place.

**OOO**

It was odd the way he'd kiss her lips is quick light pecks that hung off the fragment of a second. He was polite and respectful, overly gentle, but it all came as a natural occurrence, it wasn't forced and he didn't seem to calculate his movements...he was just being plain sweet. Sure, they had their moments when their bickering and jokes were placed asides and exchanged for "real romance" but it was a constant exchange that usually lasted throughout the day, a unique transition that only they could pull off as an ascetic of the bond they shared; complex, ridiculous, and deep all in the same.

Although, lately the mad man seemed to have settled in one mode-_kind_. This is not to say that Alice wanted him to crack rabbit jokes all day, or poke fun at her every three seconds, nor was she longing for Emily to take jabs at her either, but...she would appreciate engaging in a kiss with him, one that lasted more than a mere moment.

She wondered if the man was just not in the mood for all of that, or if he just had a lot on his mind; even though he didn't act that way. She also wondered if he ran out of passionate steam and would quickly progress to the state of an elderly man; one that sat on the verandah wearing an oversized tan grandfatherly sweater, as he rocked in his rocking chair with warm milk curdling in the sun, corn meal stains on his loose brown slacks, and a balding Emily in his lap...

The thought made her want to get to the bottom of it all.

So...early the next morning Alice sat in an arm chair and watched the man make the bed. He flipped the white sheet up in the air and allowed it to land neatly on the bed, beginning to tuck it in at the end of the mattress. Alice got up from the chair and crawled onto the bed, wrinkling the once smooth fabric, and preventing Break from finishing. The man looked up at her and smiled.

"You shouldn't have gotten up with me if you wanted to lie in the bed today," he laughed.

"Why haven't you...you know...kissed me or anything?" she said with a small blush.

"I kissed you when we woke up…remember?" he said as he leaned over and tapped her nose with his finger.

"I mean a _real _kiss."

Break tilted his head a little, watching her with curiosity before he walked up to her placing his hands on her cheeks and hearing her gasp as he leaned down and kissed her lips. She instantly opened her mouth and let him slide his tongue against hers. This is what she had been waiting for, her heart was pounding and she had the urge to allow the man's weight to rest on top of her, so she began leaning back on the bed- and bring him down with her.

But as she tried to settle backward she could feel that he wasn't following her, instead their lips disconnected and she was left lying on the bed and he stood before her. She looked up at him and he sighed.

"See...that's exactly what I'm talking about," she said angrily.

"So, your emphasis was on the 'or anything' and not the kissing?" he asked as he straightened himself out.

She nodded and sat up, causing the man the sit down beside her. He thought to himself quietly for a moment before he spoke.

"If you had a friend that loved to walk with you, but one day he tripped and sprained his ankle, would you encourage him to keep walking even though he's hurt?...or would you let him rest?"

"I'd tell him to suck it up and stop whining," she said haughtily.

"Because I find that cruel, I'll give you a few more seconds to come up with a different answer."

With a small pout Alice sat and thought for a moment. It didn't take her long to understand his analogy, so she decided to use it to her advantage. The girl turned her body toward him, extended her leg into the air so that the sight of her calf aligned with his vision, "My ankle feels fine...see" She gave a solid smirk at his expression, knowing that her legs were one of his ultimate weaknesses and that the man would give up on obviously trying to "give her space" and opt for engaging in their passion again.

She bit back a wide smile when she felt the man take both of his hands and cup her calf in his palms the way someone would hold an official scroll. The man admired her leg and finally planted a kiss on it, before he lowered the limb onto his lap "I still think it needs a few more days," he said, continuing on with their "sprained ankle" banter.

"Whatever," she snatched her leg off his lap and crossed it over her other one, practically seething that her plan didn't work, "What happened with Oz doesn't matter anymore..."

"It does matter," he said.

"No. It Doesn't! Because I'm over it."

Break closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, as he huffed and thought to himself, he supposed he could take a risk…a small one.

"Alright. Let's go for a 'walk' then."

"A walk?"

"In fact, we'll even stop to have a picnic. I go make us something to bring."

"Wait. What are we even-"

He clapped his hands three times, cutting her off "Get dressed. I'm excited to see how well your ankle healed."

"But-"

"Twenty minutes," he said, as he pranced out the door.

Alice sat there dumbfounded; she didn't even know what they were talking about anymore. Were they really about to just...go for a typical walk, or was he talking about something else.

**-:::::::-**

Walking beside Break was making Alice feel under-dressed. The man looked devilishly handsome in his black top hat and his long flaring black over coat with an open black umbrella resting on his shoulder shading his face from the hot sun. She tried to keep herself from staring at him as they walked. But after failing to take her eyes off the man she decided to distract herself and averted her attention to the picnic basket in his hand.

"So...what's for lunch?" she asked, placing her hands behind her head.

He laughed, "...You are, of course."

Alice's purple eyes expanded and she stopped in her tracks. Before Break was fully aware of it Alice had turned on her heels and tried to run. However, she could barely gain momentum since her arm was caught by her curious companion.

"What has gotten into you?" he asked.

She struggled away from him as she spoke "How could you! Why would you try to feed me to that damn chain!"

Break stared at her with astonished eyes, before he literally collapsed to the ground in a heap of laughter.

"What in the hell are you laughing at," She yelled, standing over him with her hands on her hips and watching him hold his sides and roll around, laughing hard about whatever he thought was so funny.

"You take everything so literally, Alice" He managed to get out in between a laugh, "And if I wanted to sacrifice you to the Mad Hatter, I would have done it a long time ago."

"What was I supposed to think when you tell me I'm lunch?"

"Not that," he said, already starting to cracking up again.

Alice was so infuriated by the man's laughter that she gave his back a swift kick-not to hard, but enough to get her anger across. Then she continued on walking without him. Only looking back to urge him to hurry up because she was hungry.

-:::::::::::-

It was a quiet spot that they sat in, intimate and beautiful was the scenery, as it hid them in that little clearing in the woods. Alice sat with her back against the large oak tree and continued to devour the ham sandwich in her hand, she made smacking sounds as she relished in the taste.

At some point she peered at Break who was lying on his side watching her. He had barely eaten anything except a few strawberries dipped in honey.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked.

"I'm saving my appetite," his lips matched the smile in his tone as he looked up at her, she looked back with deep suspicion before she took a vicious bite of bread, and mumbled something under her breath.

As soon as she grabbed the strawberries and began to eat them, she felt the man get up and crawl toward her; she ignored him, since she was far too engaged with the fruit at hand to care about the kisses that he was bringing to place on her neck. Because she was in the middle of eating the affection was considered an annoyance to her, and Break knew that. However, when the girl reused to get rid of the strawberries he kissed her lips and extracted the fruit before she could chew it; and ate the fruit for her.

"You bastard…I was enjoying that," She said quietly, "I know," Break said back before he replaced the fruit in her mouth with his tongue. She decided not to complain and allowed him to lean in closer against her body so that he could kiss her deeply. She could feel his hands going for her the buttons of her blouse and she loved that he wasted no time unbuttoning her shirt so that his bear hands could explore her naked flesh.

She made a small sound in the kiss when she felt him part her thighs and adjust himself between them, sliding his warm hands down her stomach and back up her chest.

Alice brought her arms up around his neck, and began to caress his shoulders as he kneeled in front of her, but as she did, she felt him flinch a little. So she pulled away briefly.

"What?"

"Nothing…it just that my back's terribly bruised from when you kicked me earlier," he said sorrowfully, exaggerating his feelings as though it was the worst tragedy that has ever occurred.

Her brow mashed in annoyance, "I didn't even kick you that hard."

"I believe the words you're looking for are 'I'm sorry'" He looked down at her lap and took hold of her skirt, "If you keep up that attitude, I'll be convinced that you're incapable of sympathy."

She lifted her hips when he began to tug at her skirt, "Only when it comes to you." She said back as he tossed the skirt to the side, right onto Emily who was lying next to them.

"We'll see if you still feel that way when I'm finished with you," he said happily, causing the girl to suppress a shudder of excitement.

She knew that since her skirt was gone the man's concentration was going to fall onto her legs; she tried to map out his route. Would he start with her ankles and work his way up to her thighs? Or would he work from her thighs and end at her toes, she wasn't sure but she was looking forward to it.

Her heart was already starting to pound when she watched him lower himself between her thighs.

Then the first kiss came, a light one, followed by a lick to the middle of upper left leg. She held her breath even though she should have been used to his touch…but something was different. The second kiss came; though, this one was quite a bit higher, dancing on the boarder between her inner thigh and the line of her white lace panties. She finally shivered when she felt his warm tongue lick the crevice of her leg, slowly gliding the moist appendage along the space before he transitioned to the right thigh crease.

At this point she was biting her tongue to keep her whimpers to herself, she held onto the picnic blanket like she would fall off the edge of the earth if she let go, ringing it tight between her fingers when she finally felt...that...that incredible feeling of his hot breath hitting the thin fabric, and seeming to add moisture to the space that was concealing her silken folds.

She gasped when she felt him pause and then gently inserted his index finger between the fabric of her panties and rub against her womanhood; so that the back of his finger caressed her sensitive skin.

She closed her eyes and allowed her body to heat up as he massaged the area with his warm fingers. Her head seemed to lean backward as a small sound escaped from her throat, and she finally accepted what he had been planning, a touch like that was enough to keep her satisfied for weeks.

She opened her eyes briefly to see the heated expression on his usually expressionless face. He was watching her tremble and whispers his name quietly, and yet, he still seemed as though he had something else up his sleeve.

Alice bit her lip in disappointment when she felt him cease caressing her. And before she could complain she watched him licking the back of his fingers that were lightly glazed with whatever pleasure fluid that she had been making. She blushed.

Her blush turned even deeper red when she heard him state that she tasted "Excited" – whatever that meant.

By the looks of it, it appeared that the man was going to spend the day chewing his hand off to get the last of her taste into his mouth…but what Alice didn't know was that he wasn't going to settle for a small tease like that…and would go to the source for more.

Alice saw the man lick his lips and then place his hand on her sides and slipped her panties off. Alice felt her stomach muscle tighten when the man slipped down and laid on his stomach, bending his knees up leisurely and crossing his ankles as though he was going to be in that position for a while. She didn't realized that her legs were almost glued together in nervousness until her coaxed them open sliding his hand between her legs and taking her thighs into his hands…

"Are you…really going to-_ahh_" Alice couldn't even finish asking the question, since he already answered it with the movements of his lips and tongue. She stifled a scream of pleasure when the wet appendage glided against the small pile of nerves that twisted her insides into hot knots and released them into cold loose liquid coils.

She was beginning to pant heavily, and she thought she might go blind since her eyes were turned up so far in her lids. She had never expected the man to do something like that, nor had she though her body was capable of generating such a feeling of searing ecstasy.

It was as if he was kissing her slow and deep, but...it just wasn't a kiss that involved her mouth. The sounds his tongue made as he continued to use it like a spoon that would dive only so far before it smooth out and over the far ends of her delicate folds. She couldn't keep her voice down as she hope she would nor could she keep her body still. Her thighs trembled in his hands and her cries came out almost at the paces of his oral ministrations.

All the while there was a feeling that was constantly rising deep with in her, like a fuse that had been lit and the flame was taking it's time burning its way up the wick. She screeched out his name when he began to lightly suck the button like structure that seemed to be connected to the core of her internal rapture.

If anything she was just happy that she didn't pass out from it all.

-:::::::::-

Break didn't think he was going to struggle that much, but he was. His wrists were shaking as he held up the girls soft thighs and hearing her call his name was making his body ache for her.

He made it appoint to keep his eyes closed so that only four of his senses were being enslaved by her body. Yes, it was his fault for deciding to do that to her, he could have simply settled for a make out session in the woods and he knew Alice would have been fine with that.

But he had his heart set on finally being able to taste her and allow his tongue to explore the middle of her hot center. And that alone made it hard for him to regret relishing in her irresistible flavor that drove his taste buds as crazy as his mind. Her arousing smell mixing with her moans of pleasure, all of it was too much- not to mention how her body seemed to produce and endless supply of aroused liquid that hit his tongue like the sweetest nectar from the most exotic flower.

Yes she was like a flower, one that was in full blossom and just waiting for….Break tried to push the thought out of his mind. The pressure in his pants was making him delusional and when he felt the girl shake violently and groan out his name he knew that she had quickly reached her climax.

Break released her thighs and swallowed deeply as he placed his face into the picnic blanket lying there lifelessly. He could hear the girl trying to recover, but he didn't dare lay his eyes on her. His hands were shaking and the thought ran through his mind of what it would be like to just…make love to her. Yes, right there in the woods, on the blanket.

"Break…" she said with all the innocent concern of a worried lover.

"I'm fine, my love. I'm just resting," he said into the blanket.

"Your hands are shaking" she said.

He finally forced himself to look up at her and then damned himself to hell for doing so. She still was unclad, as she hovered over him. His eyes gleamed with temptation as he looked her over, and when he finally sat up, he watch her eyes travel down to where the bulge in his pants resided. When he saw the girl reach for it he caught her hand and kissed it.

He quickly passed her underwear and skirt and gave her a large smile as he rushed out his next statement.

"If we don't hurry I'll never get to start making dinner and then we'll have to settle for plain bread and water." He said "And no one wants that." In a flash the man was standing up and gathering their things. Seeing that Alice's eyes were full of confusion as to what he was so anxious about.

**-::::::::-**

That night, Alice's blush would come back to her cheeks every so often especially when she and Break were around Sharon. If they caught each others eyes she would bite her lip and he'd laugh lightly because of how cute it was. The girl must have had a hard time getting over what they did earlier.

Sharon on the other hand could see right through them both, but...she was looking a bit too far. As soon as they got home she was ecstatic, obviously believing whatever happened between them was more than it did. Break just shook his head at the girl, allowing her to go off on her fantasy and let her imagination guide her down the wrong roads.

As they sat at dinner the table and chit chatted about different things, Break got up briefly to answer the phone in the other room.

"Rainsworth residence."

"Break, how are you?"

"Just fine. And how are you, Liam?"

"Good, thanks. I just wanted to make sure you knew about the dinner on Wednesday."

"I'm still deciding whether or not I'll be attending."

"But we're holding it for you. This is a big deal, Break."

"I know, but I never asked for a dinner."

"Why wouldn't you go?"

"...I have my reasons," he said, eying Alice as she walked into the room holding a bowl of sliced pears. When the girl saw him he smiled and beckoned her with his finger. She blushed and walked over.

"Personally, I think if anybody deserves it, it's you." Liam's voice came through.

"You're too kind." Break said after giving the girl a few kisses on the lips, then getting his hand smacked since he used the kisses to distract her from his attempt to seal some of her pears out the bowl- he didn't succeed. However, the girl did take one out and placed it in his mouth before she walked off.

"If it's any consolation, even my master seems pleased," Liam said, forcing Break to focus on their conversation again.

"You don't say?"

The suspicious pitch in his voice traveled to Alice's ears and she looked back as if to ask "what's wrong" but Break quickly eased her worry by blowing a kiss at her; one that made her roll her eyes and continue walking down the hall.

"Yes…he's actually happy that you got it. I was surprised because I know how bad he wanted that promotion...he was so sure he'd get it too. Oh well, It's good that you two were able to put your differences aside."

"Yes, I suppose it is…"

**XXX**

He watched him wake in and out of sleep like there was a burning river scorching his throat and making him choke in the night. The boy would aggressively scratch at his chest, digging his nails into his skin like sharp shovels in soft sand. Bloody streaks would run down his over his heart, warping the contact even more, and thick plies of skin would lodge themselves under his nails as Gilbert would reach out and capture his hands trying to stop him. Those soft small hands turned into distorted claw shapes, hooked fingers, and rigid wrist would fight the raven off, as tears leaked from his still sleeping eyes.

But after a few loving whispers, and light heap of affectionate kisses - the calm would come. A weighty calm that would make the boy whimper and simmer down; crying lightly as he searched for the warmth Gilbert provided instead of resisting it.

And so it was, just like the night before, but this time his moans of agony didn't drag out as long, and quieted into short whines of restlessness, and his fingers were only able to scrap at the scabs on his chest tearing them open only enough to raise thick dots of red that prickled up like plump fabric between weak seams.

And just like the night before, Gilbert lit the candle next to the bed, filled a basin with lukewarm water, and worked out of the first aid kit. He opened the boy's night shirt so that he could lightly dab rubbing alcohol on cotton and disinfect the torn skin on the boy's chest. Oz would wince, and clench his teeth, causing Gilbert to pat his forehead with a damp rag; since sweat was always there to accompany the struggle.

The pain would subside after a minute or two, leaving his green eyes unfocused and his ribcage rising up and down like rapid ocean waves.

As Gilbert placed new bandages on Oz's wounds he changed the blood stained shirt, he briefly left the boy shivering shirtless on the bed as he retrieved the replacement. He helped Oz sit up, then slipped the clean shirt on him and buttoned it. When he was done, he helped the boy lay back down and covered him with the blankets.

"Gil...?" the boy said through a painful swallow, one that made his throat muscles move slowly, as he kept his eyes toward the dark window, "Do you think the sun will come up soon?"

Gilbert wasn't sure if Oz meant it literally or metaphorically,...either way the answer was the same.

"It will..." Gilbert said softly, ringing out the warm cloth in the basin before he patted it across the blonde's forehead.

Oz finally turned his head to look at the man, "Will you stay with me until it does?"

"I would even if you didn't want me to..." Gilbert lifted the boy's hand and held it reassuringly, before he kissed the back of the boy's fingers.

He heard the boy sigh lightly and then Oz sat up in the bed, looking at Gilbert through the dim lighting, suddenly, Gilbert felt arms around his neck and the warmth of Oz's body against his chest. Gilbert brought his arms around the boy's back and returned the embrace as tightly as he could without hurting the freshly bandaged wounds.

"Gil, do you remember that night that I was on the phone with you…"

"When I was with Vincent?"

Oz nodded and rubbed his cheek against Gilbert's soft one, "I wanted to tell you how much I love you. But there was so much going on that…"

Oz paused when he felt Gilbert freeze, and the man broke the embrace lightly so he could look at the blond.

Oz looked back at him, then he smiled lightly, "Don't look so surprised Gil…I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah, but- I mean…" The raven swallowed hard and blushed. "I've just never heard you say it until now."

Oz sighed, "I know…I waited too long to tell you."

Gilbert shook his head and pulled Oz against him again, "No…I'm just glad to hear you say it."

When they finally got on the bed, they shared one last kiss and Gilbert told the boy how much he loved him…and how he had been in love with him for so long and he couldn't remember when it started.

And just like a bed time story, hearing the man declare such words help lure the boy into peaceful sleep. Their words seemed to linger in the wall paper sweeping over the room and warming it, taking the chill of uncertainty away. And as they lay there hand in hand foreheads touching, the sun did begin to rise, silently outside the window waiting for the moment that they would wake up and embrace its existence…after all, when a new day arrives...there nothing left to do but seize it.

* * *

I have another confession to make-One of the reasons this took so long is because... I avoided the Brealice Lime for two months (YIKES). It's my first GirlxBoy lime... I was too embarrassed to write it LOL -I think I got too used to Boyxboy pairings that a Girlxboy was sooo f******* difficult. Oh man...I struggled with that, But now that its done, I think I be okay to do the Lemon...in two chapters.

Sooo glad to be moving on.

Thanks for reading.

-Rage


	12. Torrid

:( I know..I know...I'm not even going to make an excuse for the big time lapse. (Bows and Begs for forgiveness a thousand times)

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts of any of its characters._

**Warning: Boy/Boy suggestive situation.**

* * *

**XXX Torrid XXX**

What a day it was. _Incredible_ would be the only word to describe Gilbert's experience as his fascinated eyes remained fixed on his lover, like it was the first time he ever saw him. That day was unlike any other, for the simple fact that they broke out of their usual travel plans and stopped at a town that was celebrating their end of the summer fair. Gilbert was shocked that Oz was requesting to spend the day there, and the type of energy he was radiating almost convinced the man that they were in fact on vacation, and not hunting to find a cure to bring Oz back to the very character that he was showing that day: Free-spirited, happy, and down right lovely.

It was almost too much to take in, too much to appreciate all at once. The way Oz begged him to win him something at the game stand, making Gilbert show off his shooting skills as bright green eyes watched the raven focus and accurately shoot down every single glass bottle that was daring to stand between him and winning Oz a prize.

People stared in awe at his impeccable skills, and when the man behind the wooden stand offered to give Oz _two prizes_ just because he was so impressed, Gilbert shoot the second one prize out of the man's hand on impulse...since it was a gray rabbit teddy bear.

Even with that slip up, it didn't stop the man from giving Oz a regular brown "Bear" and a deck of decorative playing cards. And the boy received both objects with such enthusiasm; someone would swear he just received the elixir of life with his excitement. And Gilbert loved it...loved the way they tried different foods together: sugar apples, large cobs of cooked corn, grilled beef on a stick, and stuffed green bell peppers. He loved watching Oz take pictures at costume stands and make silly faces as he tried on funny shaped hats, and forced Gilbert to do the same...not to mention how the boy sneaked him kisses behind the red dressing curtain. The blond giggled every time he caught the raven off guard with a quick peck. It would always leave the raven blushing to the bone, like it was the first time they kissed.

They only anxiety provoking part of the day was when he lost track of the boy when the sun started going down. He had told Oz to stay put near the pavilion where the band was playing folk music and people danced together. Gilbert went to make a phone call to Oscar and update him about their whereabouts and that they were fine; feeling as though he was actually living out the lie they made about a vacation...so it hurt less to recount the events...since that day it was true.

When Gilbert got back, however, the boy had disappeared.

All he could think was that Jack had 'woken up' and was making Oz do something crazy. Gilbert yelled his name in the streets running down side alleys and checking store fronts. He asked people if they saw him, and when none had, panic slowly sunk into him like the sun was sinking into the horizon.

When he finally checked the pavilion again, he saw the boy standing there with his hands behind his back enjoying the music. The raven raced up to him, words coming out before his mind really comprehended the fact that he was reprimanding the boy.

"_Don't_ scare me like that! Where were you?"

"The bathroom," Oz said lightly, still enjoying the loud music. The happy song that was playing was simply a contradiction of the way Gilbert was feeling.

"It took you _twenty minutes_ to go to the bathroom?" he said unconvinced, "That's a long bathroom break."

Oz turned to look at the band.

"We did eat a lot of food today...it's only natural, Gil," the boy joked, infuriating the man even more.

"Why do you have to make jokes at a time like this? Anything could have happened. And what was I supposed to do if someone-"

Nothing seemed real at that moment; the song was playing at its climax as the band threw their whole force into the music and the crowd swayed to the rhythm and seemed to circle around the pavilion. They seemed to be standing in the heart of everything, not among the crowd or standing with the band...but caught in the middle. Right in the middle of him asking the boy if he was even listening to him, Gilbert's voice finally halted in his throat when he saw Oz swiftly turn around...and the next thing Gilbert knew their lips were attached and thin arms were around his neck as Oz balanced on the tip of his toes and began kissing him...in front of all those people.

The crowd wasn't there anymore...but the music was still there in the background, ringing out a few high notes as it appeared to be playing for only them, celebrating their love. And Gilbert felt his heart pounding in his chest harder than he thought possible; the excitement, the warmth, and the breath taking blond that caused it all.

His lips quivered when he felt Oz slip away from him as the song ended and silence rested upon the area. And as satisfied green eyes stare back at him, Gilbert became mildly aware of the crowd again and also the fact that there was an awkward quiet as people watched them.

Someone gave a light cough and when Gilbert looked over he scanned the people, not only was everyone staring at them...but the band members were too. One was scratching his head with his drumstick in confusion, and others were just gawking as if to say "_are you bloody serious?"_

Gilbert's blush was delayed, face unable to react as it usually would...and it only started to take over him when some guy finally said "Hey...I'll drink to that!" as soon as the words left the man's mouth and his mug of whiskey raised into the air, there was cheering and clapping the took over the group like a wild virus, one that spread rapidly and made the drunk ones seem sober and the sober ones look weird because they were late with their celebrating.

Gilbert's jaw seemed to be detached from his face as his head looked in all directions, seeing whiskey flying out every which way as people clanked wooden cups together, and hugged in brotherly bonds. Women linked arms with their friends, and children blow their toy whistle...and the band …well, they shrugged their shoulders and played their next song.

When he looked back at his lover, Oz gave him a care free smile and said "Are you ready to go?" All Gilbert could do was nod in amazement. Oz tightened their hands and led the way through the crowd, the man who started the cheering frenzy turned to them and said,

"Hey!..Make sure you treat her right," he said happily but seriously to Gilbert.

Green eyes invaded gold ones, and gold into green. Gilbert called back to the man, "She's...a _he_," The man's eyes widened before they seemed to fall out of his head, looking Oz up and down in bewilderment, almost like he knew he should have trusted his gut when he noticed that the "she" was dress so much like a "he" he should have known...but the benefit of the doubt was only enough to unmask the truth. And before he could say another word Oz had thrown him a fun smile and trotted off with the raven haired man in the black hat.

Disappearing like they never existed in the first place.

Gilbert knew it was too soon to assume that Jack was gone, and too soon to hope that he wouldn't reemerge from the darkness in Oz's being, but as of then, he didn't care to think about that. What mattered was that they were finally on the same page again, feelings in-sync, and goals set; eyes set...on each other.

**-::::::::-**

Gilbert stared into the flames as he poked at the burning lumber with a thin stick. He was disappointed with himself for miscalculating how long it would take to get to the next town, and being too ambitious by trying to ride through the night. But weariness took over him before he could reach the next bit of civilization.

Thus, they were camping out next to a small pond. Resting in a clearing that made the stars looked like white diamonds that were resting at the back of their dilated pupils.

He built them a fire and took out some of the smoked meat that he got from the last town. Watching Oz chew it happily, and take a drink of water from the leather canteen that they had with them. Eventually, the boy scooted beside him.

"Cheer up, Gil. It's not like we've never camped out before."

"Still...I wish I could have gotten us to an inn. You should be sleeping on a real bed, not next to crickets," he sighed.

Oz laughed, "When are you ever going to see the bright side of things, hum?"

"When things work out the way they should," he retorted.

"…It was my fault for making us stop today. Otherwise, we would have made it in time" the blond said, trying to make the man feel less responsible.

Gilbert looked over at him, "I'm glad we stopped," he said softly, heart speaking for him more than his mouth was.

Oz smiled warmly, before he abruptly sat up on his knees, "Oh yeah…" he said as if he suddenly remembered something. Gilbert watched the boy reach into his back pocket and retrieve a small black box, "Here, I got you something."

Gilbert looked at the box in the blond's outstretched hand before he took it, then looked up at the boy, "Is this where you disappeared to?" he asked. The boy nodded before urging the man to open it.

Gilbert opened the tiny box and his eyes instantly met a brilliant gold ring. It was simple and sleek, and he stared at it with grateful eyes, before looking back at the boy, "Oz...Thank you, but you didn't have to get me anything..." he said, looking back down at the ring before he took it out. Inside the gold band was an inscription carved in cursive; they were initials:

_GN x OV._

"I couldn't think of anything good to say, and when I did it was too long. So I had the man engrave our initials instead."

Oz watch Gilbert's beautiful eyes soften in the flickering glow of the fire, and a gentle smile was painted on his lips as he looked the gold ring over.

"Let me put it on you...so it's official," the boy said as he took the ring and slid it onto the man's left ring finger, happy that it fit him perfectly.

Gilbert admired the ring on his hand, "I don't know what to say... it's wonderful."

"It's a lot more permanent then one of my 'servant stamps', huh?" Oz smirked.

"Yeah...but...never mind."

"What?...You want a servant stamp too? I have no problem giving you one," Oz joked, knowing the man hated the attention that such a thing brought to him.

"It's not that," he mumbled, "I guess I'm just sad that...no one will ever know what the ring really means to me."

Oz moved his head back in suspicion, "In other words...you wish we could really get married?"

The raven looked up quickly, trying to clean up his sentimental statement,

"...I'm not saying I want to see you in a dress, Oz!"

Oz moved to rest his head across the raven's lap, chuckling as he looked up at the stars, "I know you weren't saying that..._you're_ the one who wants to ware the dress, I wouldn't take that from you," he said mischievously.

"Oz! I-That's not what I meant!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he said between laughs, loving the irritated blush on the man's face. But soon, the blush disappeared and a sad look took hold of Gilbert's features as the man looked to the side in thought.

Oz knew the man was thinking the same thoughts that he was, about how nice it would be to be able to do that. But it was simply not the type of world that they lived in, where men could get married officially, like woman could marry men, and have people celebrate their love out in the open like that. If he could...he'd do it in less than a fleeting heartbeat.

He tried his best to dissolve the value in the situation, and to make the shimmering event look less enticing and meaningful...and less painful that it wasn't part of their reality.

"A wedding isn't worth it anyway."

"Why not...?" the raven frowned as he looked at the boy.

"Think about it...all a wedding ceremony really is, is a highly visible contract; one that allows everybody to witness you making your vows, so that everyone can hold you accountable to them. It's like a business deal, with music."

"I don't care if it is, I'm sick of hiding how much I love you," the raven said, then his golden eyes turned to the sky as he spoke, "It was always enough for me to just be next to you, it's the only thing that ever makes me really happy...but sometimes, I just-"

"Want to make sure people know..." Oz said as he lowered his voice into a whisper and crawled up to the man, mounting the man's lap so that their noses touched and their lips brushed together as he spoke the last words, "...that I'm yours?"

Gilbert swallowed hard and nodded a little, eyes lost in the scorching green gaze that Oz was burning into him, and the heat that was beginning to bubble up in his stomach when he realized just how deeply Oz's hips were locked into his.

Finally the boy gave his lips a firm kiss before he leaned back a bit, releasing the pressure off the man's mid section.

"Ok then, when we get back we can start telling everyone one by one...and then we'll throw a party to celebrate. It's not as good as the wedding you want, but-"

"No, it's just as good. I'd like that," he said with a small blush.

"Great!" the boy said before he kissed Gilbert's cheek. Oz continued to face the man as he placed his finger on his chin and thought, "_Hum..._I wonder who we should tell first...maybe I should let my uncle know…."

"Um...he already knows…"Gilbert said with guilt in his voice.

"Really? You told him?"

"It's a long story."

"Then I guess that leaves your family...you could tell your brother."

"ah…um..."Gilbert looked down nervously, "Vincent knows too."

Oz stared at him for a second, "Is it safe to assume Break and Sharon know everything too?"

He nodded; Oz sighed and spoke under his breath, "_jezz_…way to take the fun out of everything."

"I didn't just decide to tell everybody!"

"…yeah…sure," Oz said sarcastically, getting off the man's lap in phony disappointment. "It's true, Oz. I-" the man was silenced with a quick kiss, causing him to forget what he was about to say. Compared to Oz's lips he supposed it didn't matter anyway.

**XXX**

The next morning was like something out of a twisted fairytale. It was foggy, and Gilbert woke up next to the cold campfire that was no longer lit. Though the fog almost seemed to touch the ground, it was still humid outside. As he drag himself up he went over to the carriage to see if Oz was still asleep. The boy wasn't in there, and Gilbert forced himself to think rationally before he jumped into a frenzied panic. His eyes looked over the area and landed on the slope that led to the small pond.

He walked down the grassy incline before he moved some of the tall reeds out of his way and moved through the thick grass. He moved the last offending leaf out of his way, and finally he could see head of him.

There in the water...was an angel.

_Ok...it's time to wake up._

It bathed freely, standing there with its back turned to him, hands in wet blond hair and the smell of pink peony flowers filled the air. The fragrance sticking to Gilbert as he watched soap suds slip down an exposed neck…and trickle down a naked back. Gilbert's eyes were fixed to the bare skin in front of him, eyes following the trail of suds as it traveled lower...slowly creeping down an alluring rounded backside, then dipping and disappearing between the back of pale thighs.

Of course it wasn't the first time he saw him naked, but for some reason he couldn't find his breath or could he will himself to move his eyes away. The right thing to do would be to turn back and let the boy have privacy. But he couldn't get his legs to move...he wanted to watch the way the foggy air whisk around that heavenly body, wet hands grazing over equally wet skin.

_Touching_ and _Caressing_ and -

"You like watching me?" a curious voice said lightly. A smirk was thrown at him along with amused emerald eyes...emerald being the only vibrant color that came through passed the misty gray landscape, causing Gilbert to rapidly shake his head "NO". He didn't even know what he was saying "no" to. Maybe to his voyeurism, maybe to his secrete desire to keep watching, or maybe to his hot desire that was trying to unlock itself...even though he knew breakfast needed to be made. Oz turned his back again, "You can join me if you want...it might be better than standing there."

Golden eyes averted quickly and his voice struggled to get out tongue tied words that seemed buried in his throat, "I...I'm sorry, I wasn't-I was just checking to see if-um...I'm going to make breakfast now, so-" Gilbert tried to hurry up and get the hell out of there, but the boy's words froze him in place.

"You have three options, Gil."

Gilbert dared his heated face to turn back and look at the boy, swallowing deeply when he saw that Oz had fully turned around, though, his green eyes were looking down at his own body like Gilbert wasn't there. Slowly, his hand dragged the soap down his torso, it made Gilbert's stomach clench in pleasure.

"You can come in and enjoy the water..."

His hands ran down his stomach.

"...You can go make breakfast..." he said, with a slight shrug and a tone that said it wasn't the best option. All the while, a lazy hand slid over his navel and forced Gilbert's eyes to follow.

"Or..." those wet hands finally stopped above his thighs, _Tempting...Teasing._

"...You can keep watching...because I know you like that."

The raven felt his knees buckling, and he knew his stiff arousal was clearly showing through his pants.

"But, if you choose the last option...," Oz warned. The raven's heart shut down as soon as sweltering emeralds finally looked at him directly,

"You're not allowed to take your eyes off me...kay?" Oz smirked and gave the man a light wink before he continued. All the raven could do was give an obedient nod and make a small noise that barely left his vocals.

And before Gilbert could comprehend what had happened, his knees were on the ground, hands griping the mud in front of him as his vision was being assaulted by the most marvelous sight. Any other person would have jumped in and took the boy, or slap the raven silly for just sitting there watching when he didn't have to...didn't have to get psychological and physically tortured from the beautiful demonstration.

But what they would never understand was that to Gilbert, being able to watch the boy in such a state was almost as much of a blessing to him, as the ability to touch him was. And most of all, staying put and letting his vision do the work redefined what it meant when Gilbert would finally put his body to use.

**OOO**

"You could have given me my own horse to ride."

"You don't like being this close to me?" he asked as he kissed her neck.

"I do," the two words came out so softly Break almost didn't hear the girl say it. He could tell that she may have been blushing as she leaned her back against his chest.

"Alice?"

"Hum?"

"Are you going to be okay tonight?"

The girl turned her head a little to peer at him, "What's up with you? That's the third time you asked me that in the last hour."

"I apologize. I just don't feel right leaving you alone tonight," there was apprehension heavy in his voice.

"It can't be helped. Their not supposed to know about us, right? If I go... they'll get suspicious."

"Still. I didn't think it was going to get complicated so soon."

"Just act like you hate me still. That should be easy for you."

Break's eyes floated down to the girl in front of him, "What is that supposed to mean?" Break asked, truly curious. He heard the girl give an annoyed sigh and then she swiftly swung her left leg over the saddle and then threw her right leg over it so that she did a complete 180 with her body; finally facing the man. Break pulled lightly on the reigns and brought the slow horse to a complete stop; never once taking his eyes off of her as he did so.

"Well?" he said, waiting for the girl to explain herself.

"I know you used to hate me...because you thought I was her," Alice said softly as she reached her hand up and moved his silky white bangs out of the way. She grazed her fingers over the space of his empty eye. The man didn't flinch back at the contact; instead, she just watched his eyes become soft.

"I thought about it the day I went to the lake with Oz, and he brought up the time that I first met you. I told him you acted like that because I threatened Sharon...but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. What I did to Sharon wasn't the only reason. I must have reminded you of the Will. After what she did to you, I'm surprised you can bear to look at me..." her eyes traveled away from his.

"In a way you're right, but not completely. I was hoping your resemblance to the Will would be the same on every level. But it wasn't."

Alice looked at him with questioning eyes.

"I never hated you. In fact, I spent two years trying to stop myself from feeling anything for you because I was convinced that you'd never be with me. So I teased you, and tried to help you give me a reason to look at you different, but I never found one…"

Alice opened her mouth to speak, but no sound passed her lips.

"So...it was never easy to hate you before, because I never did. And no matter how much you look like her…I don't see her when I look at you."

After a moment, Alice felt warm lips between the space of her eyes, and the warm heat of whispers against her skin.

"Is it Ok if I beg for your forgiveness now?"

"For what?" she asked in a daze.

"For hitting you like that. It was highly inappropriate."

"If I didn't forgive you I wouldn't be able to do this," she said as she pressed her lips against his, enticing a small groan from him as they deepened the kiss.

Yes…it was going to be a big challenge for him to leave her behind that night, and the more they kissed, the more he didn't want to think about the approaching night head of them.

**-:::::::::-**

The calmness of that day had left the moment that Break and Sharon had begun getting ready for the dinner that night. The white haired man did not smile or make jokes as he adjusted the red bow tie around his neck. And he did not hum to himself as he put on his black shiny shoes. He just looked blank, and far off somewhere that Alice didn't think she could reach.

Alice walked Break down the stairs just to see them both off. She watched Sharon lock her arm with Break's so that their elbows were linked and as she repeated the information to Alice about what numbers to call if anything happened, she found herself concentrating on his sad face and depressing red stare.

She watched them walked out of the door together, but there was nothing she could do but force herself to sleep and try not to think about it.

**-::::::::::-**

As they walked to the carriage Sharon let her arm slip away from Break's when she felt the man stop walking and she caught him looking back at the house.

"What is it, Break?"

"I don't feel right leaving her behind..."

"We'll only be gone a few hours-"

"Have you ever heard the saying that things are best hidden when they're left visible for all to see?"

"What are you implying?

"..."

Sharon rolled her eyes as she finally gave into the man's unspoken request,"...Alight, I'll get her dressed quickly, then."

He smiled, "Thank you."

**-::::::::-**

Instincts made his hand search for and then claim the soft fingers that belong to no one other than Alice, and she let her hand be enveloped by his until her keen awareness alerted her to the situation. They would have walked right into headquarters holding hands affectionately without a second thought, but of course they couldn't have it that way.

"What are you doing?" she roared at him quietly.

"I was just...testing you," he smiled at her, and she could see through his show like one could see the sun in a cloudless sky. Behind that red eye of his was a deep level of disappointment that she was taken aback by, she was sure she hadn't seen the man that uneasy in a long time.

They entered the main building, none of them surprised that there was no one really in the halls or officials hurrying around. When they arrived at the dinning room doors, Break paused and fixed his features into a bright appearance before he opened the door.

"There's the man of the hour! We've been waiting for you," said Oscar.

"Please excuse my lateness; I had business to tend to," Break said cheerfully as he scanned the twenty or so guest that had shown up.

"Nothing serious I hope," Liam said.

"No no…Just the usually paper work," he lied, knowing the thing that made him late was his own desire to bring Alice along at the very last minute.

Gradually, there were whispers happening at every corner of the room, when they saw Alice stand beside Break. No one really knew how to respond...except for Oscar; who was ecstatic to see the girl.

Break sat at the head of the long table with Sharon by his side, and Alice sat next to Sharon. The atmosphere in the room quickly turned uncomfortable; even more so when Rufus decided to pointed out the "elephant" in the room, "Break, is it really appropriate to have a _Chain_ present?"

There were a few whispers that followed, Break glared at the man at the opposite end of the table.

"Now, wait a minute, Alice is like one of the family, she-"Oscar began, but was cut off by Break's irritated statement.

"Everyone who is in this room will be treated and _will_ treat others with the utmost respect, regardless of background, social status, or rank. Is that clear?"

People looked around the table to gauge everyone's reaction, no one giving Break a clear nod of understanding.

"I asked a question, people," he pressed, raising a thin brow.

"I didn't mean for you to take it personal, Break," Rufus said lightly, lip twitching up into a smirk.

"Never mind that, let's just get on with-"

"By the way...where is Oz," Rufus interrupted again.

Break let out a silent huff of disbelief, unable to comprehend how far Rufus was willing to push things within five minutes of his arrival. The room filled with instant chatter. Everyone finally registered the fact that not only was there a infamous chain in the room, but a chain _without _a nearby contractor. Alice looked at Break with a bit of panic in her eyes, and all he could do was rack his brain to find an excuse for having Alice there with him, without Oz anywhere in sight. Yes...it was reason number 18000 why he hated Rufus.

"I'm glad to see everyone misses him so much, ha, the little troublemaker" Oscar joked "He and Gilbert took a little trip; they should be back in a few days. Can you believe it? They even tried to lie to me. And get this everyone, they told me that Xerxes here sent them on a mission-WITHOUT Alice, Ha, Ha...it was a set up the whole time. Goodness… but they keep me going though. Haahaah."

"That's right" Sharon stated, "Oz left Alice with us before he left."

Break could have kissed the man for the quick unintentional save. The agents in the room seemed to finally accept the logical explanation, and he quickly jumped in to stop anyone from asking anymore questions.

"Anyway, let us begin eating, a cold dinner is never good on the stomach," he chuckled, before he raised his wine glass and held it in the air. "Let's toast to productive and information filled year, shall we?"

Everyone raised their glasses and toasted, lighting the mood briefly before their attention was turned to the meal at hand.

-::::::::-

He would take quick glimpses at her, and it hurt him to see how they had affected her. It was blatant to him because he could see that she was trying to eat "properly" moving between barely touching her food, and looking nervous about what fork to eat with and being mindful of how she held it.

He would watch her look at everyone at the table briefly to see if people were watching her eat; and some were, staring at her with complete fascination almost like they were trying to measure how "civilized" she was. It was a totally different environment than the ball, since most people at the ball were other nobles that had nothing to do with Pandora directly, and others that were there from Pandora already knew her well enough to see that they didn't need to look at her so intensely.

Break felt horrible for bringing her into that type of situation, he didn't think they were going to treat her like an outsider. When he caught Sharon whispering to the girl about what fork to use, Break's heart broke at the embarrass look on Alice's face. He watched her small hands tremble lightly as she picked up the proper utensil. So Break nudged Sharon and gave her a disapproving look before he leaned over and whispered to her.

"Can you please refrain from correcting her; it's putting her on edge."

"They'll stare at her more if she makes a mistake. Do you want her to be embarrassed?"

"They're going to stare at her regardless of what she does. We need to let her be herself."

"Listen to yourself. She'll be much happier if she fits in."

"She'll be happier if she's not censoring herself to the point that she's paralyzed. Look at her, she can barely eat."

"She's just nervous."

"No, she self conscious."

When he felt Miss Sharon pull away from him and straighten out her shoulders he knew she was frustrated with the conversation. The tension continued on that way until the guest began to get up and mingle…and frankly, he was in no mood to do so.

**-:::::::::-**

By nine thirty Break had seen enough, a least a dozen people took turns going up to Alice to ask her questions, attempting to touch her hair and maybe get close enough to her that they accidentally brushed against her soft skin. Many times he tried to secretly intervene by weaseling his way into the crowd and side track their fascination with talk of business and progressive plans. But his thoughts were always betraying his words and his eyes were never completely focused on the agents, as the red orb darted around trying to locate the girl and whoever was trying to go after her next. At some point though, he had lost track of her completely and was trying to keep his teeth from grinding when he noticed that she went missing...and to his dismay a certain red head just happened to be gone as well.

**-::::::::- **

Alice was glad that she finally escaped from the elite group of collective stupidity as she found herself resting her head against a large window somewhere in the shadowy building. It was dark in that corridor; but she'd rather be in the dark than in a room illuminated by the curious stares of Pandora staff. Something in her mind kept saying "_hurry up and get back in there, you're here for Break...who cares what they think. Get a hold of yourself,_" But her body stood there regardless.

"It's a lovely night, isn't it?" a voice said. Alice opened her eyes. The red head chuckled before he stepped closer to her, but Alice was ready to walk even further down the hall if that meant getting away from him. He just wasn't worth her words, or her sassy comebacks.

He wasn't worth anything in her eyes.

"You've certainly grown up fast..." he said reaching his hand out and quickly swishing her hair off of her shoulder. Alice moved away from his touch, but the man had already spotted a red blotch on her neck.

The red head smiled viciously, "…It seems the Hatter has wasted no time putting that human form of yours to use."

"I don't know what you're getting at," she said, covering her neck with her long hair again.

"Oh?" he laughed, "Please don't mar your own limited intelligence with feigned ignorance, Alice."

"Who exactly do you think you're talking to?" She said threateningly, body tensing as it unconsciously prepared to start swinging.

His oncoming retort was cut off when a blade was suddenly pressed against his throat. And there was no question of who exactly was behind him.

"That's a cowardly move, _Kevin_. It's even more absurd that you'd make a move like that in headquarters."

"Leave, _now_," Break said with husky anger.

"As you wish. Pardon me, Alice. We'll continue this some other time-"

"There will be no 'other time.' I will not allow you to get this close to her again."

"We'll see," Rufus said as he maneuvered his way out of the man's dangerous hold, since Break did not release the knife right away.

The man finally turned the corner and walked off, footsteps seeming to disappear down the hall. Before Alice knew it she was snatched up into a warm hold, as his lips pressed against her temple.

"I'm sorry" he muttered against her hair.

"Why are you apologizing?," she asked, her tense body relaxed in his hold.

"If I had known that they were going to act this foolish, I would have stayed home," he said wearily.

"Don't be stupid. You think a room full of "official idiots" are going to get me down? Well...they didn't," she falsely assured.

"Why do you always insist on trying to fool me?" he asked as he pulled away, when he was met with silence he moved to his next question, "What was he saying to you?"

"Nothing worth repeating. The man's full of hot air," she said ambivalently.

"We're not going to skip over this like you try to do everything else that happens. We'll discuss it when we get back home."

She huffed, "There's nothing to discuss."

He closed his eyes, "Alice, _please,_" he said with exhaustion "I don't have the energy to battle with you about this right now. I'll meet you back in the dinning hall... I have to check on something."

"Fine," she said, flipping her hair behind her shoulders before she marched off, but then she stopped to yell back at him, "And you're the one choosing to make this an issue right now, not me."

"It _is_ an issue…we just need to get you out of denial, my dear," he said snippily.

"You know what! You can take yourself right back to the circus for all I care!"

"I'll do so as soon as you learn to control that temper."

She made a loud noise of frustration before she said her almost-final words, "Why don't you just go to hell. I'm sure there's a special place reserved for clowns like you."

"There isn't…I already checked."

"Then find one!"

Break rubbed his hand against his forehead in absolute irritation, not even noticing that Alice's footsteps didn't fully disappear.

He stood there in the quiet for a few minutes, then he soon turned his attention to the presence that he knew had been standing in the shadows the whole time.

"I know you're still here, Rufus,"

A chuckle came from the darkness as the man stepped forward, "To think you have the guts to make love to a creature that acts like that…you have a strong stomach, Hatter."

"_Watch your mouth_," Break seethed heatedly.

"Ooh.. sensitive tonight, are we?"

"Do tell me, what is this really about? Is it Alice you're interested in…or are you harassing her to get back at me for receiving this position?"

"I told you at the ball. All I want are answers."

"And once again I can't give you something I do not have. As far as Alice is concerned, all you need to know is how quickly I will cut you down if I catch you near her again."

"I'll accept that… for now. But before we go back and make pretend this never happened, I wanted to give you this," Rufus pulled an envelope from his cream robe and handed it to the mad man, "The chief wanted to make sure you got it," he smiled.

"What is this?"

"Oh, Liam didn't tell you? Along with this position comes the benefit of receiving your own office…here at headquarters. The chief wants you here six days a week. He's expecting great things from you, Kevin…we all are…"

The man turned and head a little ways down the hall and spoke before he turned the corner, "Hope you don't disappoint us. And good luck breaking the news to that chain, she doesn't seem like the kind of beast that takes kindly to long periods of separation."

_this can't be happening..._

Once Rufus was gone, Break quickly opened the envelope and squinted his eyes to read the letter in the shadowy hall. After a few moments, all that could be heard in the hall was a harsh swear and the sound of paper being crushed in angry hands.

-:::::::-

Alice's body tensed as she hid behind the thin wall of a pitch black room with no door. She had heard everything that was said between the two men. But even before she could process it she was trying to deal with the sound of footsteps that were hopefully about to pass by the room she was in.

It ended up the way because right before she left Break completely she felt a faint wave of familiar power tremble through her, alerting her that someone was still in the hall with them. That's why she stuck around to make sure no one was going to attack Break.

At the moment though, she dared herself to peek out and see if Rufus was gone, and the moment she thought he passed the room, she let her back rest against the wall with relief. That's until she felt a deep wave of sickness when that same powerful feeling doubled and slowly ran through her body. She heard the man literally and lightly rake his fingertips against the opposite side of the wall that she was hiding behind, and he had no problem unleash some of his power so that she could feel the pressure right through the wall…like he was caressing the inside of her flesh with his bare fingertips. It was the most overwhelming and nauseating experience, and the worst part was that there was no way to off set it with her own power. Then his whisper came…

"You should hurry along now; I wouldn't recommend being alone at a time like this."

And like just like that…Alice was thrown off time-space balance. Unable to tell if she was still standing or if she had fallen, if her eyes were open or if the darkness she was seeing was from closed lids. And what she really didn't know…was if Break would be able to find her body once she lost consciousness in that dark random room...somewhere within headquarters.

* * *

Sorry everyone...I really like "Sexy Oz" for some reason. Sexy/witty Oz and innocent/ unsuspecting/vulnerable Gilbert scenes are fun to write...for me at least (cough).

Ok so This chapter was originally double the length of this one. But you guys have been so awesome and waiting way too long for this so I split it in two. Also the end of this chapter was something creatively spontaneous that happened at 3:30 am this morning and so I have to incorporate the follow up scene in the next half, so it will be another day or two but not too long since it pretty much done besides editing.

Thanks SO much for reading everyone! My deepest respect and Gratitude for following, reviewing and encouraging me.

-Rage


	13. Human Saints and Sinners

:)

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it's characters.

**XXX Human Saints and Sinners XXX**

It was one in the morning. Break thought about the two hours that had just passed by. It seemed like every event happened in a hopeless blur that was too hard to believe. Finding out that no one had seen Alice, rushing around Headquarters with Sharon looking for her, and then retracing his steps down the same hall that he had seen her leave out of -or _thought_ she left from. And the moment he saw her laying there …he almost lost it.

At the moment, he was running his fingers through her brown hair as she lay in pain, sleeping on their bed; body trembling from time to time. He could see that the bruises on her back resembled four long fingertips; each one starting up toward her neck and disappearing behind her nightgown. His thoughts wondered.

"_I'll kill him! I know he did this to her!"_

"_Please stay calm Break, we have to-"_

"_Sharon, how do you expect me to stay calm at a time like this?"_

"_We'll take her home and then call a doctor. Going after him now won't be the best action."_

A knock on his bedroom door brought his mind back to the moment. Break looked back at the small body in the bed before he released the thick cream bed curtains and pulled them together so that her body was completely enclosed and safely shielded. When he opened the bedroom door he saw Liam standing there with a man that Break found familiar, but didn't know exactly. Break looked the tall thin stranger up and down, seeing that he was no older than twenty eight or so. Then he turned his eyes to Liam.

"I brought the doctor as soon as I could," Liam said faithfully.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here quicker, has her condition progressed?," the man asked, trying to look past Break and into the bedroom, mostly looking for a glimpse of Alice.

Break got in the way of his vision, "I'm sorry…" he really wasn't sorry, "Have we met before?" abrupt skepticism laced every word.

"Forgive me. I'm Doctor Thomas. I work with Pandora's medical department. I've heard a lot about you, sir. It's an honor to meet you," he put his hand out for Break to shake but the mad man just looked at it; the man awkwardly took it back when he realized Break wouldn't participate.

"ah huh," he said flatly, "And what is it you specialize in?"

"Many things, but I work closely with ex-contractors, providing the care they need after their chains have been destroyed. I've done extensive research surrounding new medical conditions that have sprung up after contracts have been broken. I know Alice is a 'special' case, but frankly, I'm not sure a common medical practitioner would be fit to provide care."

"What makes you any different from them if you haven't dealt with a human chain before?"

"Well, for one thing, I already have that knowledge about her, so I wouldn't treat this like a typical case. I also know what types of medicine may be best for her condition."

He shook his head 'no' with a sarcastic smile, "Yeah…I don't think so. Thank you anyway," he said pleasantly, trying to shut the door, but Liam put his hand in the way.

"Wait, Break! He's the best person to deal with this; I understand how you feel…I wouldn't want Oz upset with me either if something more happened to Alice on my watch."

Break stopped himself from rolling his eyes, Liam had it _all wrong_. He didn't give a damn about what Oz would think, say, or feel when it came to Alice. It was Break who didn't trust strange people with treating her ailments…especially another Pandora agent.

"I've known Doctor Thomas for many years; we can trust him to do his best. At least give him a chance..."

Break thought it over for a minute ready to tell them once again that he wasn't going to allow it. But then he heard Alice give a small painful whimper in her sleep, followed by the broken sound of his name. Break gave in, but not completely.

He opened the door, "You have _fifteen minutes_ to evaluate her. If you have no clear assessment after that, then I have no need for you."

The doctor bowed graciously, "I understand," Break reluctantly let him pass into the room. Then he turned his eyes on Liam, "Would you please do a full background check on him and put anything you find into a report for me. I want to know everything possible about this man. From what he eats on Wednesdays to how many glasses of wine he drank last week."

"Yes sir, I'll get on it right away."

Break closed the door, eyes falling directly on the man that looked hesitant to open the curtains and touch the girl without Break's permission. The white haired man gave him a nod of approval before he opened the curtains and began to unbutton the back of the girl's nightgown so that her back was exposed.

The man's movements were clinical and professional, face serious and genuine concern seemed to rise in his eyes, as he listened to the girl's heartbeat through the stethoscope. He took medical notes occasionally, tracking his observations and discoveries. When he examined the red marks on her back he was careful and focused, only touching the areas on her back and not probing or poking at places that weren't related to the task at hand.

"Do you know if she's ever been seen by a normal doctor before?"

"Not to my knowledge…" Break answered truthfully. Arms still crossed and eyes not leaving the man's form as he worked.

The assessment came well under the fifteen minute deadline, "From the way it looks, it appears that the marks on her back are preventing her from fully recovering from the attack."

"How?"

"It's an after affect from whoever attacked her. Their power is still flowing through her and the source is the bruises. Once the bruises heal she should be fine. I have something that might speed up the healing process," the man reached into his black medical bag and retrieved a small jar of black liquid.

He handed it to Break, watching the man open the cap and smell it. Before the mad man could ask the question, the answer was already in motion, "It's a mixture of Aloe and the blood of the chain Raven. If I'm right about her condition, only one or two applications should do the trick before the marks disappear completely."

Break's eyes narrowed, "How did you know to make this, if you haven't seen her condition until now?"

The man looked saddened that Break was still so suspicious, "Well, I-"

"I'm sorry, Break," Sharon's voice came from the doorway, "When he called back, I told him what happened over the phone. He pieced the rest together himself from the information Pandora already knows about Raven's affect on her…that's why he made the serum before he came. I know I should have checked with you first, but I couldn't bear to see her in anymore pain."

"Its fine," he said, assuring her that he wasn't upset with her. When she approached him, she said a soft "May I?" and he nodded before he let her take the jar and head over to Alice.

"If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to call me. And you can trust that everything that happened here today will remain confidential. I'm certainly not one for gossip." he said as he gathered his notebook and medical bag in his hands.

"Me either," Break said, quickly snatching the page off the man's notebook that contained notes about Alice. He consumed it fast, like he was deprived of food for years.

He saw the man staring at him in horror, "Just being careful..," he said through a mouth full of paper. Then he swallowed it down, smiling and licking the tips of his fingers like there were paper crumbs on it, "We wouldn't want that information to get into the wrong hands, would we?"

"…No, we wouldn't" the man wrinkled his nose in disgust, "I suppose I'll be off then."

"Thank you for your assistance," Break said as he held the bedroom door open for him, "You're welcome. I left my number with Lady Sharon if you find that you need anything more."

As the man walked down the hall, Break gave Sharon a quick "_Psst"_ and when she looked over, Break nodded toward the man who was half way down the hall and getting ready to walk down the stairs. She caught the hint.

Within seconds there was wispy black smoke creeping down the hall, until it took a small dive into the floor behind the man and disappeared.

-::::::::-

Break continued to look out the window, hands behind his back as he focused on his thoughts. The room was quiet, save for the occasional painful sigh that Alice would give off as a response to Sharon's actions. But it was obvious that the girl was still asleep.

The strawberry blond made a _tisk_ sound with her mouth as she continued to apply the serum to Alice's back, "The poor dear…she's been through so much lately."

Break made a sound of agreement before his mind traveled back to his previous thoughts. He started to think about the concept of Alice's "humanness" and what it really meant. He felt like he went over it in his mind a thousand times before, but he still ran down the facts.

The girl had a heart beat, ate food, could bleed from wounds…but she still could feel the presences of chain power, and get overwhelmed by it.

Also, and on a more personal level, Break had been given the blessed opportunity to watch her body respond in the most "human" of ways…blushing was certainly one of them. And the others, well….that was between him and Alice. But it was still relevant.

Because if she wasn't somewhat human, all of those 'responses' would have been absent; emotionally and physically.

"Miss Sharon?"

"Yes?"

"Just out of curiosity...how human do you think Alice is?"

"I'd like to believe that she's no different then anyone else. But most likely, she falls somewhere in the middle. Why do you ask?"

"Between you and I…I think she's becoming more human as time passes. The longer she stays in that form the more concrete it becomes."

"How long do you think it will be until she becomes fully human again?"

"I'm not sure, but when that day comes…the contract between her and Oz should naturally break itself, since her chain status would be void. The real question would be how we speed up that process."

"…Who knows," she sighed, "It could be as simple as allowing her to have more human experiences…and limiting her chain experiences as much as possible."

**XXX**

It was afternoon by the time they rode into Perretta, it took them approximately five and a half days to get to the small town, and they were finally there. They didn't need to ask more than one person about where the Ministry was, and when they did the person gave them a strange look before they cautiously pointed them in the right direction. With the way the woman looked at them when Gilbert asked, someone would swear he had just asked her where the lion pit was.

It gave the man a bad feeling.

When they arrived at the vast stone building Oz climb down from the driver's seat with Gilbert, both of them looking over the place with searching eyes; eyes that wondered what was in such a structure. There was a bell tower at the top and a tall black fence that surrounded the building. It could have been mistaken as a church if one didn't know any better. It was peaceful there, with its lush green lawn and its cobble stone path way, trees scattered around it; vines winding up the gray stone walls like green ribbons.

It wasn't long before they finally saw someone come outside. It was a girl who looked like she was no older than 16. Her light blond hair hung messily on her shoulders and her feet were bare, but still she stumbled onto the lawn and began to spin...and spin...and spin.

They both watched her collapse and get back up, arms flaring out as she looked at the sky and began twirling again, like it was the best fun she had ever had. They slowly walked toward the gates but neither opened them, and the only time they stopped watching the girl was when a woman hurried out of the building and grabbed her arm. The woman was dressed in a dark blue gown, hair tied up in the back and voice stern but kind as she escorted the girl back inside. The woman caught a glimpse of them as she began to shut the doors again, and finally walked up to the gates.

"Hello," she said kindly, "Which one of you has the sin?"

Oz was caught off guard by the question.

"A sin?"

The woman nodded and waited patiently. According to his father he had a sin...but not one he knew of directly.

"Neither of us," he said.

"We'll see," she opened the gate for them, "Do come in."

Oz and Gilbert looked at each other briefly before entering the gates and following the woman to the door.

**-:::::::-**

The woman left them sitting on a bench in front of an office space with a closed door. As they looked around they examined the long dreary hallway they were in. They kept hearing odd noises but could never see the source. There were multiple doors that lined the walls of the long hall and a set of stairs at the far end of the left side of the hall way…a dark staircase, in fact.

Oz looked down at the black and white floor, stomach turning at the checkered design that unfortunately reminded him of the Abyss.

When the woman came back, she had a clipboard in her hand and gave it to Gilbert.

"Here at the Ministry, we take pride in helping the troubled overcome internal difficulties that they face. We believe that most behaviorally troubled people become that way as a result of sinful behavior, if not by their own doing then on the part of a close family member. Bad spiritual energy, illness, and possession are all repercussions of bad choices. But we work hard to alleviate the results and also work with families to help prevent the sin from happening again. So, if you don't mind filling out that paper-"

"What if there is no sin?" Gilbert asked.

"There's _always_ a sin. Even if you don't know it now, we'll work with you both to figure out the solution. But for now, would you mind filling out that paper. Father Denise will need to refer to that when you go in to meet with him. He'll be out shortly," the woman walked away.

"What does it say?" Oz asked.

"It's just a list of symptoms. I guess I'm supposed to circle all the ones that happened" he watched Oz look at the paper with a discouraging look "…do you want to fill it out?" the raven asked.

"No…I think it's better if you do..."

Gilbert nodded, and as he circled different things on the page Oz spoke up again, "Gil...I don't think we should tell them everything."

"I wasn't planning to. I'm going to leave the parts about Pandora and the Abyss out of it. That would only give them a reason to think we're part of some hell worshiping cult or something."

Oz laughed, "…Tell me about it," he agreed.

-:::::::::-

Soon, they were in a bland office. Nothing but a desk and a bookcase furnished it; not to mention the man behind the desk and the two chairs that they were sitting in. The man was large, husky and tall; towering over the small desk even while he was sitting. As he looked over the paper Gilbert gave him, Oz was able to look the man over. He was almost completely bald, wearing a black suit. He wore glasses that were way too small for his long face.

"So you believe this boy is possessed?" the man asked.

"Yes…partially. Or rather…at times he is. It's complicated," Gilbert said, struggling a little to describe it.

The man looked at Oz, "It says here that you've been experiencing blackouts, memory lapses, sorrowful behavior, excessive sleep, violent behavior, personality shifts, crying spells, and a lack of apatite, one attempted assault, and a suicide attempt. Is there anything else?" Oz shook his head, wanting to cringe at the words he just heard about himself.

"Why don't you give me some history around this situation" the man said to Gilbert.

"Well um.." Gilbert swallowed hard before he began "Oz has an ancestor named Jack. One hundred years ago he was in love with a girl named Alice, but he was never able to be with her because he was killed. A few years ago there was a girl that Oz met and she looked very similar to the girl that Jack used to be in love with, and ever since then we've seen Oz struggle with trying to control Jack's feelings for her."

"May I ask a few questions?" the man asked

Gilbert nodded.

"Could it be that Oz _is_ in love with this new girl, and that those feelings have nothing to do with his deceased ancestor?"

"I'm not in love with her," Oz said abruptly, almost lifting out of his seat "…I have feelings for someone else."

As soon as the words left his mouth he could practically feel Gilbert's efforts to suppress his blush and keep it from giving them away. If it were a life or death situation, their chances of survival would be extremely low since the raven was such a dead give away. If it wasn't a blush then it was a tense body posture and eyes that shifted down in bashfulness. And on a really bad day, it was all three- not to forget the adorable stammering that followed if he was asked a question. Oz hoped the man didn't see any of that though.

"How do you know that there is a resemblance between Alice and this new girl if she was alive so long ago? Cameras weren't around back then."

"There's a portrait in our attic that has a picture of her and Jack," the raven cut in.

"If it's Ok with you, I'd like to have a word with your..err..um-"

"Brother. Gil's my brother." He watched the man look at them both trying to find a commonality in their features.

"We have different mothers," the blond said quickly, attempting to remove the man's doubt, sliding Gilbert a look that said "_Just play along."_

Oz got up and walked to the door, "I'll be outside, Gil."

His lover nodded at him as Gilbert watched Oz walk out of the room and close the door. Gilbert turned his sun colored eyes back on the large man behind the desk. The man was in the middle of looking in his desk draw and then pulled out a few pieces of paper and pushed them toward Gilbert. The raven noticed that the man had a smile on his face, almost like a mask that was hiding something...

"Before we're able to go any further with this case, I'd just like you to fill out some forms," he said, smile never fading as he watch Gilbert look down at them.

"Forms...why?"

"We like to have a written agreement from the caretaker that they allow us to conduct an observation."

Gilbert's brow mashed slightly, "He doesn't need an observation, he need's someone who can draw the man out of him," his voice was stern with borderline annoyance, it seemed as though the man behind the desk had not been listening throughout their whole explanation of what was happening.

His smile flattened, "Yes, I understand, but we can't move to that step without knowing what the best method would be, and only through observing him will we be able to determine that."

"How long will it take?" Gilbert asked with impatience.

"We usually keep a client for three days before we begin the cleansing process."

_Cleansing? _"Three days..." he said emptily as he looked back at the papers, he read the first few lines of the first page.

_I_,hereby grant permission to the Ministry of Freedom to take the appropriate measures in securing the safety of _ Thus, removing the impending hazard he/she is to himself and others. I understand that by signing this contract I am giving up the rights to act as the current guardian/spouse/caretaker/ kin in any and all decisions made until the client is deemed fit to return back to society._

"And you're sure that he'll be...you know..."

"Cured? Quite sure. There haven't been many cases where we fail to find the root of the problem and take care of it."

"I want to talk this over with Oz first."

"That's understandable. But I would actually advise against it."

"I can't just sign this agreement without consulting him first."

"Well, the term 'observation' may cause him distress, and if he is being possessed, we run the risk of evoking the negative force within him. In all my years of experience I've seen many families leave here simply because the person in question refused our help, and they all later regretted it. Homicides, suicides...you name it, and its happened; all because they didn't take the situation seriously."

The pen trembled in his hand as he held it to the paper, and after a minute he placed the pen on the desk.

"I'm sorry, but I need to have some time to think it over."

"I know how difficult this may be for you, but...the longer you hesitate to make an important decision like this the longer he will suffer under the circumstances...do you want him to suffer?" the man asked him with sincerity almost as if he was waiting for Gilbert to say "_yes damn it, I want to watch him suffer."_

But Gilbert did not, and without so much of a half breath Gilbert singed his signature and before the pen could fully leave the paper the man whisk the paper away from him and smiled widely.

"You made the right choice. Oz will be in good hands. Please come this way."

Gilbert didn't know why but he felt as though he made a big mistake, like he wanted to take the papers back from the man and rip them up.

"Would you be so kind as to wait here a moment while I fetch one of our attendants, she'll be able to show you to the room and further explain our policy."

"So what happened?" Oz asked.

"He said he wants us to stay here for a few days so they can observe you..."

"Oh," Oz said thoughtfully, trying to ignore the mysterious person attempting to play a game of 'peek a boo' with him by constantly peeking at him and hiding behind the door again. "How long are we staying?

"Three days."

"Three days...I can handle that."

The woman from before interrupted their conversation, "I'm not sure if I told you, but you can call me Sister Levinya. I'm happy that you're allowing us to help cleanse you, Oz. Please follow me and I'll take you to your room."

They got up and followed her down the long hall.

"So which room are we staying in?" Oz asked as he looked into each room as he passed by. He only got a glimpse inside of the ones with open doors but each person seemed really off...one guy even manipulated his hand into a gun shape and pointed it at him.

"Actually, it will only be _you _staying here."

"What? That was never mentioned-" Gilbert started, anxiety clearly in his abrupt voice.

"Rest assured, there's an inn across the road that many of our client's families stay at during the duration of their time here. You can even see it from the window in your room, Oz."

Gilbert tried to cut in again, "But-"

"And during the three days you can visit him as much as you like- as long as it's between the hours of 12:30pm and 2:30pm."

"That's _it_?" the raven said with dissatisfaction and disgust, "I can't see him any other time?"

"Well… there are exceptions in extreme cases, but- Oh! Here we are. This is your room Oz."

They both looked inside instantly seeing a boy no older than fourteen sitting on the bed with his binoculars around his neck. He had jet black hair and wore clothes that were three sizes too small.

"Billy, this Oz, he'll be sharing the room with you for a few days."

"_Hehehe_, hi Oz, my name's Billy, I like crackers and I have a pet frog at home, _hehe,"_ he said extremely fast before he covered his mouth with his hand and giggled.

"H-hi..."Oz said awkwardly, nearly speechless. Gilbert just kept shaking his head like he couldn't believe what was happening.

"I'll let you two get acquainted, and you sir, you can help Oz get settled."

"Wait! I have a couple of concerns," Gilbert said to Sister Levinya, "For one-"

"Please submit all concerns to the front office and we will let the committee review them…in the order in which they are received. Thank you," she smirked and walked away leaving the man thunderstruck.

**-::::::::-**

Outside, Gilbert and Oz stood near the carriage, and as Oz watched Gilbert go in to get his luggage, he saw the man pause and then climb out empty handed. The man's hands balled softly at his sides as he looked down and spoke to the boy.

"Oz...I _don't_ like this place, I think we should leave."

Oz looked around, mouth in a distinct frown as he nodded in slight agreement with his servant, "I know, it's weird here...I felt it too. But we'll never know if they can help us if we don't stay."

Gilbert shook his head, ready to throw the boy into the carriage and get moving. The pad of his thumb played with the gold ring nervously as he tried to convince the boy otherwise.

"What if you don't need help anymore…?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've gotten so much better since that night at the inn...what if all you really needed was a break from the estate, and to get away from Alice for awhile."

"Gil-"

The man stepped closer to him and took his shoulders gently, backing him up against the carriage, the intense desperation in his eyes matched his tone, and Oz found himself at a lose of words, not to mention that he lost track of how quickly his passionate heart was beating.

"I'm serious, Oz. We don't even have to go back home yet, we can keep traveling for as long as you want...as long as it takes for Jack's feelings to die out. I'll call your uncle and tell him we decided to do some more traveling so he won't worry."

"I..."

"Oz...I'll take you wherever you want, no matter where it is. Just _not_ here."

Oz searched his eyes, debating with himself to find out what would be best. It sounded _so_ good to just be free and explore with Gilbert by his side. It would be refreshing and incredible, unforgettable even. But there was one thing that was even more important than that.

"I want to do this, Gil. I have to..."

"Why, Oz?" he said sounding confused and broken.

"Because...I want you to have all of me, and not just sometimes. And if that means staying here for awhile so that they can get rid of Jack for good...then I'm willing to do it."

He watched the man shake his head and turn his eyes away, grip loosening on his shoulders, until they slipped away in defeat. He could see the regret in Gilbert face and the angst coursing through him. It finally dawned on Oz that Gilbert was probably willing to sacrifice his own desire for Jack to be gone for good, just for the reassurance that Oz was with him at _all_ times...even if it brought Gilbert more pain in the process.

"Gil...look at me," he saw the man blatantly resisting the command but Oz reached up and held is cheeks anyway, shifting his face slightly so that he was able to see the glistening of Gilbert's now glassy eyes.

"This whole time you've helped me through this, even when I didn't deserve it. And the sad part is...you've probably been suffering more than me, and yet, I've done nothing to stop it."

"Oz-"

"I know what you're going to say, that you're happy just being with me, right?" Gilbert gave a light nod, "Well I'm not happy with that unless you're _only_ with me...and not me _and _Jack. You deserve better than that," he caressed the man's cheek, "So, let's see if they can help us. And if they can't we'll go to someone else when they say there's nothing they can do for me."

Gilbert swallowed back his bubbling emotions and nodded into the boy's hands, taking a deep breath before he went back into the carriage and got out the luggage.

**-::::::::-**

Gilbert helped Oz unpack some of his things in the room. They both tried to ignore Billy who was laughing off and on for no reason as he watched them; constantly trying to hide his face in his hands and peek at them between his fingers. Oz made sure to put the teddy bear that Gilbert won for him on the bed along with the playing cards. They sat down together and played a quick card game, blocking out the constant laughter from the other bed. Oz was just on the verge of winning before the woman came in and ruined everything. Oz could feel his heart squeezing; it was time for Gilbert to go.

Gilbert stood up to speak to the woman, "When can I bring him his dinner?"

"I'm sorry; we don't allow families to bring food here. Every meal is provided."

"What if he doesn't like the food you make, is he supposed to starve?"

"We won't know if he likes the food until he tries it," she said back with undertones of contempt.

"Oz is very particular about the food he eats, I don't think-"

"I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. The reason why we enforce that rule is so we can prompt a sense of equally among our clients. We want everyone here to know that this space is mutual and caters to everyone's needs, and _not_ just to the affluent,"

Gilbert sighed in defeat and gave up, watching the woman give him a phony smile as she stepped out of his way and attempted to lead him out the room. Before he left, he felt Oz grab the back of his black overcoat. The raven walked back over to the boy, leaning down and embracing him fully. He hid a quick kiss behind the boy's ear, before he ruffled his blond hair in a "brotherly" way and forced himself to leave as if he accepted everything…when he really didn't.

**-:::::::::-**

Gilbert felt empty as he got into the carriage and lead the horse a little ways down the street; parking the carriage in front of the inn. The feeling in his body was like the feeling people got when they knew they were leaving something behind, but they couldn't remember what it was. Although, this feeling was more intense and he knew exactly what he had forgotten…or better yet, whom.

He looked back at the building briefly, spotting Oz's "bedroom" window, before he turned and walked up the two steps that led to the front door of the inn. The door was open so he walked into the main room, seeing the desk right away and the man behind it who was older with graying hair and large brown eyes.

"Good day to you sir, would you like a room?"

"Yes."

"How many days?"

"Three, please."

The man wrote something down on a slip of paper, and Gilbert looked over when he noticed a young woman coming down the stairs. She looked like she was in her 20's and had light red hair. She smiled at him shyly and blushed, before she made her way behind the counter.

"You wouldn't happen to be dropping someone off over there...are you?" the man said as he nodded toward the Ministry. Gilbert nodded hesitantly.

"Better book the room for four nights then...they never usually finish with people in three days."

"But they told me-"

"They told you what they tell everybody… 'three days' _heh_. But no one ever comes out that quick. More like three weeks," the man chuckled as he reached behind him and grabbed a key off the wall.

When the man saw the disheartened look on Gilbert's face, he tried to set the man at ease.

"But then again, each case is different I guess. It could very well be three days this time. Anyhow, it's good to see a fresh face around here. It gets pretty lonely in this part of town; Ann here can barely find anyone her age to socialize with."

Gilbert didn't respond to the man; instead he looked over at Ann before he paid the man. The man handed him the key and explained to him that all three meals were include in his stay there and that he was welcomed to eat with the family. Gilbert finally said thank you and left the two of them behind the desk as he proceeded to go up the stairs to find his room.

:::::

"I can see that you took a liking to him already."

"Is it that obvious, father?"

"Ha, it always is. I don't know about this guy though….He's dense."

"Yes, but he's so hansom...I wonder where he's from."

"With the way the Ministry works...you might have plenty of time to find out," he laughed, "God bless that Ministry though…without them we wouldn't make enough money for a loaf of bread, "he chuckled.

**-:::::::::-**

Gilbert was afraid of sitting still, because stillness meant he wasn't being productive. To him, stillness was allotted only when he was in the presents of Oz, and appreciating the feeling of being close to him. Idle, that's how he felt, and uselessness was weaving into his subconscious as he sat there and looked out the window at the building across the road.

Sometimes he would try to make himself believe that Oz was sitting in the window and that he could make out a glimpse of the boy's soft blond hair as he looked toward the inn that Gilbert was in. And other times, Gilbert played the words in his head that Oz had left him with, "_I want to do this, Gil. I want you to have all of me...and not just sometimes."_

A knock at the door pulled Gilbert from his thoughts; he looked at it in a slight daze before he got up to open it.

"Yes?" he eyed the young woman with the red hair as she stood at the door with a tray of tea and croissants.

"I thought you might have been hungry. Dinner won't be ready for a few hours...so..."

"Thanks," Gilbert said quietly as he took the tray from her and tried to close the door again.

"I don't mean to be nosy, but, I was wondering if your wife may be in the Ministry. You seemed really sad earlier and-"

"My wife?...Um, no...Not exactly."

"May I ask who, then?"

Gilbert looked at her as he thought it over. He could take his pick of 'roles' that he was going to assign to his description of Oz. He could have told her that Oz was his _master_, his _best friend_, his _lover_, his '_fiancée'_…but in the end, Oz was his _everything_, and that would be something that she wouldn't understand. Then again, it wasn't any of her business and he didn't owe her any explanation.

"I don't really want to talk about it..." he said finally, extracting a mixture of sadness and embarrassment from her.

"Oh, I understand. Forgive me for prying," she said uneasily, no longer able to look him in the eyes, "Your horse is in the back stable, we tend to them free of charge."

Gilbert nodded in acknowledgment then closed the door lightly.

**OOO**

She knew why she was crying. Her whimpers ran through the room that was now hazed by the fading light outside. The sun was losing its power to the night…weakening, and leavening her in a dusk colored room alone. It always seemed like when things were going well for her something always got in the way…always. And now, it wasn't something she could actually challenge or fight…it was something she simply had to deal with. She didn't want to be like the "beast" that Rufus said she was; someone who couldn't deal with the idea of loneliness.

She dealt with it for what seemed like centuries, but everyone had a breaking point, didn't they? Everyone had a moment that would finally tip the scales for them and render them unable to keep fighting against their true feelings…strength wasn't eternal, nor was it constant with every situation. The fading sun outside was a perfect example of that.

As she shifted up into the bed and sat against the pillows, she noticed the pain in her back was nearly gone, she was glad about that at least. She remembered waking up throughout the day; back in excruciating pain, like it was sucking the life right out of her body. But now it was merely a faint tingle that remained to keep reminding her of that night.

The only thing she could clearly remember was the conversation between Break and Rufus…and how the man she loved would now have to leave her _every single_ _day_…with the exception of one. Three tears fell on the blankets in her lap before she even felt them accumulate in her eyes. An unrestrained sob left her quivering voice box, and the sad part was that none of it even happened yet; Break was still somewhere in the house (at least she assumed he was), it wasn't like she was already without him.

But she was still sobbing like he was already gone. She didn't want to be an obstacle for him, or make him feel bad about taking the position at Pandora. Even before the position came to be, Break was usually a busy man. He had important things to do…for himself and Pandora, not forgetting his duties to the Rainsworth mansion.

How could she even dream of coming between all that?

A knock at the door interrupted a bed shaking sob that was building in her throat and Alice's heart beat sped up from fear of being caught crying like that. She quickly threw the covers over her head and curled up with her back away from the door. Wiping her tears away as she hid under the blankets and made pretend she was sleeping.

"Alice?" Break's voice was soft, concern wrapping around every syllable of her name. She didn't answer though.

Before long she heard the squeaking wheels of a cart being pushed into the room. The bed sunk under his weight as he sat on the edge of it. She swallowed hard before she forced her acting skills to surface. With a big yawn, she stretched her arms and came up from under the covers; squinting her eyes to fake tiredness.

"It's already dinner time?" she said sleepily, as she looked at the dinner cart and rubbed her eyes, "I can't believe I slept the whole day."

"I don't believe it either, that's why you should stop acting like you just woke up," he said knowingly, he pushed her hair behind her ear, receiving a frown from her. His voice became more serious with his next words, "I could hear you crying when I came up the stairs," his red orb began to search her purple ones, but she looked away.

Alice wasn't giving up yet, she would _make_ him believe otherwise. She reached her hands up to his cheeks and turned his head from side to side, pushing his white hair out of the way so she could see his ears.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Checking to see if your ears are blocked, I think you're starting to hear things," when she didn't find anything she let his face go and shrugged hopelessly "I don't see anything. I guess its just old age catching up to you," she fake a yawn again and tried to roll over on her side, but he caught her arm and prevented her from turning over.

"What?" she asked. The look that he was giving her made her glad they weren't enemies, because the man looked as if he'd choke her for her comment. "Look..." she sighed, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to everybody eventually. I promise to start speaking up if you can't hear me."

"There's no need for that," he said curtly, "I can hear you just fine. Actually, I can hear you so well, that I can pick up on what you're really trying to say even when you're telling me nonsense," he moved to whisper in her ear, "…Like right now." She swallowed hard and clutched the bed sheets, "So…are you ready to talk about this now?" she nodded against his cheek, and he moved back to listen. She finally gave in and told the 'truth.'

"…I was crying because…my back was hurting."

"I see…" he moved back a little more, "Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked, testing her.

Her eyes widened in panic. If she said 'no', she couldn't keep up her act. So she nodded and turned around for him. She felt him unbutton the back of her nightgown and slid it down her shoulders until it piled around her waist. She felt him press softly on a few spots on her back and each time she faked an "Ow" sound.

"Does this hurt?" he asked her, and when she didn't feel anything she quickly wondered if her back went numb. "um, yeah. That hurts too," she said, trying to play it safe.

He started buttoning her nightgown again, "That's strange…," he said in wonderment "I didn't even touch you that time."

_Damn him…he tricked me!_

She didn't turn around to face him; instead she hung her head low, and accepted that she was found out. Plan defeated before she even had a small victory. He knew from the start that she had lied, and there was no way to hide the truth anymore. After a moment, she felt his lips on the base of her neck kissing her gently, and speaking through each kiss.

"I'm going to do my best to wrap up the research in a few weeks. And then I'm going to resign."

Four tears fell, bangs covering her eyes and voice strained, "Don't tell me that. I want you to do what you have to do…even if it takes a long time. I can deal with it."

"I know you can. It's me that can't take it," he said truly, "If I could…I wouldn't have dragged you to headquarters last night. I love having you with me, Alice."

She lifted her head a little, feeling his hand caress her back with soothing touches, "I'm going to find a way around this…because I'll lose my mind if I don't," he said quietly.

She finally allowed herself to face him, arms enveloping his neck, tears finally flowing fully as she wept into his shoulder. He didn't attempt quiet her; he just provided comfort and rubbed her back, patting her long brown hair every few minutes.

After ten minutes she settled and sniffled a few times before she spoke,

"Break?"

"hum?"

"It's too late for that…"

"For what?" he asked with concern.

"…You already lost your mind."

The man sighed and pulled away from her, he saw her suppress a giggle behind her fingers, watery eyes lighting up when he cupped her face in his hands, wiping the last tear away.

He chuckled and pecked her lips, "You're lucky I love you so much…" he saw the shock run through her expression, mind trying to register the three words he just said.

"...because if I didn't, I wouldn't let you get away with talking to me the way you do," And with that, his lips were captured by her excited ones, both of them steadily falling backward onto the bed as the sound of warm kisses filled the room.

A lonely dinner cart rested forgotten in the corner… as much as the setting sun seemed forgotten by the sky.

**XXX**

It was a weird day for Oz, one where he found himself gazing off in thought as he stared out the window; eyes on the inn across the road. He was bored in that small room. And sitting across from Billy wasn't helping...it just made him uncomfortable. Naturally, he thought if he got to know the odd boy that it would loosen the tension he was feeling.

"So...Bill-"

"Yeah?" the boy said excitedly before he covered his mouth and giggled.

Oz paused at the boy's reaction before he continued, "How many days have you been here?"

"Four hundred sixty two days, seven hours, eleven minutes, and forty eight seconds."

The blond frowned, not expecting an answer like that. Then it hit him...Billy was there way over "a few days" like the man said most people were.

"I thought people only stay here for a little while; like a week," Oz asked, becoming wary of how truthful the odd boy was actually being. He could be lying…

"_hehehe_ they tell everybody that. But if you don't get rid of your sin, your family makes you stay here, forever. _heheheheh_"

Oz's brow knitted lightly in concern, "That's horrible. Does your family come and visit?"

"Every thirty two days. And when they come they always say 'Billy if you don't try harder you'll be put on the second floor and we won't be able to see you anymore," he said sternly, maybe trying to mimic his father's voice.

"What's wrong with the second floor?" Oz grabbed his teddy bear and shifted back on the bed, folding his legs like a bow.

" _hehe_ That's where they keep the 'incurables.' I snuck up there once to see for myself and I saw the terrible things they do to them," he laughed, making Oz move uncomfortably at the boy's inappropriate reaction to his own words.

"What type of things did you see?"

"Well..." Billy looked up at the ceiling in thought, throwing his head back a lot farther than necessary.

While Oz waited patiently for his answer there was a loud knock at the door before it opened, revealing Sister Levinya who was smiling.

"Its dinner time, boys."

Oz watched Billy get up excitedly, leaving him on the bed still waiting for the answer that would never come. Before Oz got up he glanced out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gilbert outside the inn, but there was no one out there, just the quiet and the setting sun.

**-:::::::::-**

The night was chilly, and Oz could tell that autumn was coming sooner than he expected. He curled up in the unfamiliar blankets with the teddy bear that Gil had won him and tried to make sleep come to him, but his growling stomach prevented him from feeling able to find comfort. Its not that there wasn't food at the Ministry, the food just wasn't edible to him. Stale bread and cold goopy soup constituted a stomach ache that was not worth acquiring just to reduce his hunger pains.

What made sleep really impossible, was that all he could think about was what Gilbert was doing, and how he wished the man could lay beside him. Hold him.

It was an hour later when there was a light clank on the window glass. Oz rolled over and waited for it to happen again before he got up out of his bed.

He barely had to look out the window to have the word escape his lips, "Gil!" Oz said in a loud whisper, happy as ever.

Before he really thought about it, he was already opening the window quietly, and looking back to make sure Billy was still asleep in the opposite bed. Then he put one leg through, and then the other, watching Gilbert's dark figure get ready to help him down. It wasn't really necessary since the window was close to the ground.

Once the boy's feet touched the cold grass he looked up at the man as Gilbert step away slightly, trying to get a good look at the boy.

"Hey" the boy greeted with a smile, though it was probably hidden by the dark.

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I was still up."

"How is it in there? Are they treating you Ok? Have they feed you?" he asked urgently, ready to charge in there if the answer was less than absolutely positive.

"It's fine…and the food's not bad," he lied, the food was terrible. He didn't even touch his dinner. But he wasn't going to tell Gilbert that.

"I'm glad you came tonight. It's hard to sleep without you with me."

"Same here," the raven said the words through a thankful sigh, as if he was grateful that he wasn't alone in the struggle, "Has your chest been bothering you?"

"...It's achy, but manageable. Billy's snoring is more annoying than the pain is," he joked.

After a long pause Gilbert spoke, "It's still not too late to leave, Oz," he mentioned quietly.

"I know…"

They stood in silence for a moment. Oz could see the hopeless body language the man was displaying. "Come here," Oz motioned for the man to step closer. When he did Oz wrapped his arms around Gilbert's mid section, feeling the man relax as he returned the embrace, he kissed the top of the boy's head mumbling "I missed you" into his blond hair. Before long, their lips connected in a small kiss. One that they did not anticipate would become desperate and needy.

The sound of harsh breaths could be heard as they both stood there and devoured each others lips, tongues slowly looking for entrance into the others mouth and Gilbert slowly and fully claiming Oz's warm appendage. If the kiss could be translated into a phrase, it would have said, _I can't stand this situation_ or _why is it like this? _Yes, the kiss was one of frustration, confusion, and longing; all of which couldn't properly be addressed given the location, time, and circumstance. But their actions proved that they were still trying anyway.

Oz didn't know when the man had managed to pin him against the stone wall, nor did he notice that his knee was entangled between Gilbert's. And he also wasn't sure of when the raven's cold hands made their way up his night shirt; caressing his stomach. The only thing that entered his mind was the guilty thought that he had teased Gilbert's body way too much in the last couple of days…and that was probably why he was pinned against the wall at that moment, and getting felt up by strong hands. It was a rush, though, one that he was entirely enjoying. All of those things entered his senses but left his conscious until he heard a rustling noise coming from above them.

They both broke the kiss and looked up toward the window, hearts racing from what they were just doing as opposed to being afraid that someone had caught them.

"Maybe I should get back in there," the blond said breathlessly as he looked back at his disappointed servant.

Gilbert just nodded in response, blushing fully when he had to take his hands out from underneath the boy's night shirt. He wasn't that surprised that he allowed himself to get that carried away, Oz usually had that affect on him….especially with all the unfulfilled sensual tension that had built up between them over the last week.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said to the boy.

"Ok. Don't be late." the boy said in a whisper.

"I won't," Oz kissed the man's cheek and then turned and placed his hands on the window sill ready to jump up into it, but Gilbert helped him up.

"Try and get some sleep," Gilbert said as Oz secured himself in the room.

"You too." Oz whispered, before he reluctantly closed the window. He watched the man stand there before he began his departure back across the road and into the inn.

**XXX**

As slow and boring as time seemed to be, Oz was happy that he was not dwelling on the slow pace of the day. So far the highlights of the day only occurred when he would hear screaming echoing from down the hall and the sound of footsteps running to the source. It startled him when he heard such shrills, because he was never expecting it. And what made it more unnerving was the way Billy would giggle nervously every time that it happened.

Oz found it odd that they had two hours of morning "Quiet Time." A woman came in the rooms to ensure silence and hand them a cup of water to drink. When Oz told her he wasn't thirsty, she shook her head and placed her finger to her lips to remind him to be quiet. Then she pushed the cup toward him.

He drank it, and after she left he whispered to Billy and asked the boy about the water. The boy explained and said, "An old man blesses it early in the morning, to help clean out the negative forces in our body." He even told Oz that some people had "horrible reactions" to it, causing them to scream and thrash around. Oz tried not to think about it…hoping he'd never be one of those people.

**-:::::::::- **

It was lunch time. Oz was sent back to the large dinning room that had three long wooden tables and enough space to hold sixty people. It was dingy in there. What bothered Oz the most was that the windows were dusty.

He sat at the end of the table closest to the wall and waited for the woman to come over with the bucket of cold corn meal slop...just like at breakfast. As she walked down each aisle he watched people cling to her dress as she passed and she'd smack their hand away while balancing the big pot between her other arm and the tilt of her hip. There was one man that would get up every few minutes and then sit back down, and a young boy who wouldn't sit down at all - he'd waltz down each aisle, one hand pressed to his chest and the other one held out; humming a tune like he was at a ball.

Oz tried to occupy his mind by giving people mental nick names, like "SS" for the man who would **s**it then **s**tand ever three seconds. He named the dancing boy "Oblivious" since he clearly didn't realize where he was.

The dinning room doors opened and the first thing Oz saw was Gilbert...among some other people. Oz stood up so quickly that his chair fell over, and the smile on his face was bright enough to keep the room illuminated for several days.

"Gil! Over here," he said, waving the man down.

The man's yellow eyes meet his and Gilbert made his way over to the boy, ignoring the waltzing youth that he almost bumped into. There was no pause present between the walk over to Oz and the embrace that he gave the boy as soon as he got to him.

"You're here right at twelve thirty," Oz noted.

"I've been here since eleven but they wouldn't let me in, so I waited outside."

"Really?"

Gilbert nodded, and before Oz could comment again he felt the vibration of Gilbert's booming voice, "HEY!" he yelled over Oz's shoulder, "Put that back!" Oz spun around only to find "Oblivious" twirling away with his bread. He was doing pirouettes and who knows what else as he pranced away, unfazed by the enraged raven at his side.

"You thief, that isn't yours!" the raven barked out.

"It's OK, Gil. I don't think he understands," Oz said, trying to calm down his lover.

"Don't make excuses for him. He knows exactly what he's doing," to prove his point even more they both saw the boy stop and look at them before he placed the bread delicately in his mouth, closed his eyes, all while bending his knees and giving his hips a little shake of victory.

"See." he said to the blond, "This is unbelievable, what kind of place are they running here?"

Before Oz could even try to answer the question, Gilbert took his hand and began to walk with him, "Where are we going?" Oz asked as he half noticed that he was one out of three people who actually had a visitor.

"Outside for some air," Gilbert said lowly, almost as if he had to hide that from anyone who was listening.

When they reached the door the woman standing there blocked the exit.

"Excuse me," Gilbert said threateningly when she didn't move.

"May I ask where you're taking him?"

"We're going outside for a few minutes. Is that a problem?" he responded.

Oz could see the intense look that Gilbert was giving her. The woman looked away, making it clear that she felt intimated by him.

"No, it's not a problem. But he has to be back by-"

"2:30. I know," the raven said, cutting her off.

"And he's not allowed to leave the grounds" she added.

"Fine," Gilbert said as he pushed past her and escaped to the other side of the door with Oz.

Oz looked back quickly to see if she was still watching them walk away, and she was. He soon saw another woman walk up to her and whisper something, but Oz was half way out the front door with Gilbert before he could get a sense of whether or not they were talking about them.

Once they reached the outside Oz saw Gilbert huff and his shoulders sank in relaxation, like he had been holding his breath the whole time.

"Damn, they're strict," Oz said under his breath as he followed Gilbert to a near by tree. When he watched the man sit down he also saw that there was a paper bag beside him.

"What's that?" Oz said as he sat next to his companion.

"Your lunch."

"You got me lunch?" Oz asked in amazement.

"_Shush." _Gilbert looked around cautiously, "I had to hide it out here; I couldn't risk trying to bring it in."

"Thanks for bringing it for me…but why did you get so upset about the bread if you had food already out here?" the boy asked as he opened the bag. His eyes lit up when he found two chicken sandwiches and a smaller bag of strawberries.

"It's not about the bread; it's the principle of the situation. People shouldn't be allowed to get away with stuff like that…I don't care how many 'sins' they have, - why are you laughing?"

"You're really cute when you get upset for me," the boy laughed, watching Gilbert crossly turn away in a useless attempt to hide his embarrassment.

In no time Oz was on his second sandwich, he was famished. Skipping dinner and breakfast was making him scoff down the tasty meal in front of him like he had been chained up and deprived for weeks.

"You haven't been eating, have you?"

"I have. I'm just extra hungry today," the boy smiled, making crumbs fall away from his lips.

Gilbert wiped the remaining crumbs away from the boy's mouth, giving Oz an unconvinced look, "I don't believe you. I saw what they were feeding everyone today…it's garbage. I'm going to start bringing you breakfast and dinner too."

"How?" Oz asked.

"I'll pass it to you through the window," Gilbert closed his eyes and leaned against the tree, "I can't wait for these three days to be over," he mumbled.

"Yeah…you and me both," Oz said as he popped a strawberry into his mouth and watched an unfamiliar woman peer at them through the window of the inn, before she closed the curtain.

* * *

I really loved writing this chapter, I found myself laughing at a lot of parts (Don't ask LOL).

Yes Yes Brealice fans, the lemon is in the next chapter! I believe they're both ready now (but am I? LOL). * wipes brow and cracks knuckles preparing to type.* Next Chapter: Someone gets a little jealous, who is it? And why. Also...a wonderful reviewer made an excellent point a few chapters ago...what does Jack think right now...why haven't we heard directly from him...we will next chapter. Can anyone guess how?

I talk too much.

Thanks for reading

-Rage.

P.S we will soon be approaching my favorite part of the whole story the big SURPRISE, and the most important part (I'll tell you this, a certain set of fans may go crazy over this but which fans Ozbert or Brealice...? Pay attention, I've been totally dropping hints throughout the story) not for a few chapters though...I hope I can carry it out properly (gulp)


	14. Scorch

Sorry for the wait.

**Warning: **_explicit _Lemon – BoyxBoy, and other suggestive situations. ( I'll explain why there's no Brealice Lemon at the bottom)

* * *

**XXX Scorch XXX**

She tossed the phrase around in her head, and came up with nothing. Ever since she heard the red haired man say the words she tried to wrap her mind around the concept. She knew what it was but the words associated to it did not fit - at least to her they didn't.

"Making Love"...it made no sense to her, if two people loved each other then how could they make something that already existed between them? Maybe the phrase should be reserved for people who didn't love each other and they needed something to help get them to that emotional level. Or maybe it was just a method to make more of what was already there...if that was the case, why haven't her and Break...done it yet.

Or maybe they have in a way, but...she knew deep down that Break had been restricting himself in many ways over the last week, with the exception of the day that they went for a "walk". Alice blushed heatedly when she thought about it, and a tremble ran deep through her, all the way to her toes; the flesh beneath her toe nails was probably blushing as well.

Most of all she wanted to know what it would be like if the man wasn't holding back, and they actually did "make love" and she knew the right person to ask about things of that nature.

Around dinner time on Friday night Alice found herself walking through the Rainsworth halls looking for Sharon; she had an important question for the girl. She soon found herself standing in the doorway of the day room where she saw Sharon sitting there reading a thick book that the girl seemed thoroughly consumed with.

"Sharon, can I ask you something?" Alice asked while shutting the door and flopping down heavily in the seat across from the girl. Sharon nodded happily and sat up straight, eagerly awaiting the question.

Alice tried to suppress her blush before she spoke, "What is it like to...make love?"

"You mean...you and Break haven't-Oh dear..." Sharon looked around nervously "I thought that, well...I was hoping you'd be able to tell me what it's like."

Purple eyes widened, "You haven't done it either?"

Sharon blushed deeply and laughed nervously, "um...no."

Alice huffed in annoyance, "I thought you knew about all that stuff."

"I do...but not because of first hand experience. I have a few books that somewhat describe it," she got up and walked over to the massive bookshelf.

"Oh. Here's one, 'Sweet Summer Nights', by Johanna Wilde" She flipped through some of the chapters and stopped at a particular page. Alice sat up in her seat awaiting the knowledge that she knew the book would have.

Sharon cleared her throat lightly, "It says...'As she lay there she prayed to the gods to bestow mercy on her body.'…" Sharon paused and stopped reading. "…That's why I never finished this book…"she mumbled to herself.

"What else does it say?"

Sharon continued awkwardly, "For he broke through her with the force of a million sun beams, tearing their way between delicate sheer curtains'...That doesn't sound pleasant at all. But I'm sure it's not _that_ bad..."

"Great" Alice said with sarcasm, "So I'm better off finding out for myself."

Sharon placed the book back on the shelf, "What are you planning? I don't think you should rush into…" Sharon stopped briefly, eyes glazing over until a sneaky smile crept onto her face.

"On second thought, maybe you should encourage Break to…you know…"she winked.

Alice placed her finger to her mouth in thought, "What should I say to him?"

"Sometimes it's all about what you _don't say_ that gets the job done," she giggled. "And think of what a wonderful experience it will be! And eventually I'll get a new bab-I mean…a new perspective on how a loving relationship should be. You two will certainly set the example."

"You're right," Alice got up with confidence, and threw her shoulders back, propped one leg on the low coffee table and placed her hands on her hips, " I'm going to march right up to that clown and-"

"And what?" a voice asked from the doorway. Said man was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and Emily resting on his shoulder. There was a mixture of suspicion and expectancy in his gaze, mostly reserved for Sharon who jumped to bury the truth.

"-ask what's for dinner. Alice was just talking about how hungry she is."

"Yes. _Starved_," the brunette said with a sharp tongue and a pointed glare at Break as she walked passed him and out of the room.

Once she was gone, Break looked back at Sharon, seeing the sly gleam in her eyes.

"What kind of trouble are you starting?" he asked.

"You know I never start trouble…Unless I'm going to benefit from it," she giggled and sat back on the couch, opening her book once again.

**XXX**

It was late Saturday morning and a cold fire ignited in his stomach when he looked through those borrowed binoculars. _Why is she touching him like that? _A million questions ran through Oz's head as he watched the red head female attempt to pull Gilbert out the door of the inn. She smiled cheerfully at him, giggling at the raven's refusal to budge from that spot on the porch. She even pushed her breast against his upper arm in an attempt to get him to willingly comply.

Oz felt his palms getting clammy as he held the device against his eyes.

"_hehehe _What'cha looking at, Oz?" Billy's voice intervened in his thoughts; the boy's breath was close to his face. But Oz held fast and continued to watch.

"There's nothing to see over there in the morning time _heheheh_, Only night time is when you get to see the _goods_."

"Goods?" Oz asked, briefly looking over at his roommate.

"Yeah, some nights you can see her undress in the window, _heehehhe_...its fun."

Oz frowned: so those are the 'goods' he's talking about, and he wondered if that's why Billy had binoculars in the first place, "I'm not actually interested in that," he said turning his eyes back to his lover outside.

Soon, he saw Gilbert get into the carriage with the girl, and Oz nearly jumped out the window. "Where could they be going?" he said under his breath. He didn't like it, and he felt utterly helpless being restricted to the Ministry and not able to go with the man on whatever errand he might be going on with that woman. Oz didn't want to admit to the jealously that was making itself known under his skin, and maybe he deserved to feel that way for all the unintentional times that he caused that feeling to rise in Gilbert, but still.

Even though Gilbert didn't appear the least bit interested in the girl, it was still a problem to Oz...one he wanted to nip in the bud, sooner rather than later.

**OOO**

It was still fairly early in the day when Sharon and Break sat on the balcony and drank their share of tea. Alice was still asleep, and Break had just got finished making arrangements for them to stay at an inn a few towns away; he was planning to take Alice to the food festival that was happening later that weekend. It would be a nice way to spend sometime with her; especially since the first day at headquarters was quickly approaching.

"Eques hasn't picked up on anything unusual. I think he's clean, Break."

Break looked down at the report that Liam had brought to him earlier that day, one on the late Mr. Harpsfield and the other a background check of Doctor Thomas. Neither report held any knowledge that was useful.

"Everyone has something to hide, Miss Sharon. Please don't be fooled into thinking he is an exception."

"Eques has been following him for three days and I haven't detected anything. He appears normal. If you ask me, I think that he would be a fine doctor for Alice in the future. His medicine worked wonders," she sipped her tea.

"Yes, his medicine was almost too wonderful…too precise," Break added.

"You speak as if you wanted her to be ill for a longer period of time."

"I'm not saying that."

"Then what are you saying?"

"The man's too perfect. Who in the world has Chain's blood just lying around? Not only that...but do you think that Vincent would have just let the man waltz right into the Nightray house and drain blood from Raven?"

She waved her hand at him in a dismissive manner, "You're being unnecessarily cautious. And I hope you know that all that worrying will send you to an early grave," she said light heatedly, then surprised herself when she realized that the metaphoric phrase was inaccurate when applied to his person, "…Or a late one," she giggled, making him cut his red eye at her.

**XXX**

It hadn't been three days...it had been _four,_ and not a word from those who ran the so called Ministry indicated that they were going to take a look at Oz anytime soon. After bringing Oz lunch on Saturday afternoon Gilbert charged into Father Dennis's office and demanded an explanation. The man simply told him that they were preparing to take care of Oz that day, by doing a test. The test was supposed to be a series of questions to help better understand how Oz had dealt with Jack in the past, and hopefully help Oz identify his sin, so that they could get a better perspective about why Jack was in him in the first place.

Gilbert thought the whole thing was stupid, and that they would need to use a better method than "asking questions" to get Jack out of the boy. It was an utter waste of time but still, the three of them walked down the hall together so that they could bring Oz to a "purified" room. After one of the attendants forced Gilbert to stay outside the room, Oz was taken inside with Father Dennis and Sister Levinya. The woman lit a few candles and carried some beads with her as she knelt down at a table and closed her eyes.

"Please make yourself comfortable," the man with the glasses said to Oz. Pointing to a lounge chair and having the boy lay on it.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions, is that alright?"

Oz nodded.

"Just remember to relax as much as possible," the man tried to say the words in a soothing voice. Oz looked up at the ceiling, and waited for whatever questions he was going to be asked.

"So Oz, tell me about Jack."

"What do you want to know?"

"You can start off by telling me what kind of person he is."

"I don't really know. When I first met him…he seemed really kind. Yet, there was something about him that made him strong."

"Sometimes evil spirits appear to us as friends as long as we continue to do their work, but eventually they begin to control our very existence and show their true colors."

Oz sighed, "Jack's not an evil spirit."

"What do you think he is? He made you assault your friend, right? What other being would make you do something like that?"

Oz knew it was far more complex than that, but since the man had no knowledge of the Abyss he couldn't blame him for thinking that way, "…I don't think he can help it. He's just-" Oz suddenly fell quiet and Father Dennis looked over at him waiting for the boy to continue what he was saying.

"Oz…?"

The man waited patiently for the boy to respond, but a complete five minutes passed by until he heard the boy speak again.

"If you wanted to know about me you should have asked me directly. You may have gotten better answers."

The man's eyes enlarged behind his glasses, watching the boy sit up and look at him over his shoulder.

"I beg your pardon, I'm not sure I understand,"

"(sigh) You don't need to. You're irrelevant to me. Is Gilbert close by? I'd like to see him," the boy asked in a tone that was not one belonging to his youthfulness.

"Y-yes," the man said before turning to the attendant in the room, "Please call him in," she nodded and forced her eyes off the boy on the couch, knowing she'd seen some outrageous things at the Ministry, but nothing quite like that.

Gilbert rushed into the room; his first thought was that something went wrong. But when he saw Oz sitting on the couch he knew something didn't feel right.

Gilbert watched Oz walk up to him, green eyes hard and focused. Although there were others in the room their existence seemed to fall away. Not only was Gilbert no longer in the presence of "his Oz", he wasn't in he presences of Oz _at all_; not with those eyes. It was a total change; no longer the half change he was used to, whatever came to the surface of Oz conscious completely skipped over that "middle personality."

Yes, that person in front of him was Jack.

Within moments a familiar hand reached up and caressed Gilbert's cheek, he didn't know why but...he pulled away from it. Instead, the hand slid down his chest, and onto his waist. The raven's body went ridged, afraid the people in the room would start suspecting the truth about him and Oz.

_What is he doing? _ Gilbert held "Jack's" gaze seeing a ghostly smile creep onto his face.

"You certainly love him, don't you," those lips said, it was strange because they were the same lips that the raven had been kissing deeply through the window earlier that morning. But that voice...deep and velvety, rich and confident and it dripped in a maturity that only several decades' worth of life could contain.

That was not Oz's voice.

Jack turned his eyes back to the couch and then back to Gilbert, "The second you looked at me, you knew he wasn't here anymore, but you're still searching these eyes for any trace of him that's left over" he smiled, "Its a shame, really it is."

With that, Gilbert felt his gun get snatched from the holster on his hip. In a blink of an eye, the gun was turned on Father Dennis.

"Leave," Jack said sternly.

"Oz, please put the gun down," Father Dennis said shakily, hands going out as if he could stop the bullet if one was fired.

"Jack. My name is Jack Vessalius. Now, get out, none of this involves you."

When no one moved they heard the gun make an unmistakable sound. The safety was removed. They scurried out the door and closing it behind them.

Jack turned his eyes back on the speechless Gilbert. He walked a little ways away from him, looked down at the gun in his hand and slowly brought it up to Oz's blond hair.

"Oh god…"Gilbert said with the deepest agony, hands reaching out carefully wanting to stop the man, "Please, _Please_ don't do this..."

"Do you know what real pain is, Gilbert? Or what a bleeding soul feels like? I think you should know…I _want_ you to know."

"I _do_ know! I know what its like-"

"You _don't _know!" the man yelled, his hand shook as his index finger tightened on the trigger.

Gilbert's mouth was dry as he spoke, trying to speak calmly so he didn't rile the man up, "Oz had been taken from me once...for ten long horrible years and he never once left my mind. I'd do anything to never go through that pain again."

"Anything?" Jack lowered the gun a little, "Is that why you want to kill me?"

Gilbert took a small step forward, trying not to stammer on his words, "Your time with Alice ended a long time ago. Why can't you accept it?"

The man snickered bitterly, and walked over to the window, "Because I don't have to," he said with his back turned to Gilbert, "If Alice didn't come back...then I'd have to accept it. But she's here in this world… and so am I. We're connected. But everyday...I can feel our bond get weaker...and weaker. That's why you have to bring me back to her."

Gilbert chanced another step closer, "And then what? She can barely remember anything related to you. She loves someone else now," Gilbert realized that he shouldn't be saying stuff like that until he got the gun away from the man. The reality in his words may set Jack off again...but it was too late to retrieve what his quick tongue spat out.

Jack looked at him over his shoulder, "You mean that one eyed lunatic? What they have is _nothing _compared to what we could share... he's hardly holding my spot next to her."

"What about Oz? You can't force him to love her," the raven added.

"Maybe not, but it doesn't matter what he feels. He is but a shell. And if you love that shell you won't take this warning lightly," Jack finally turned to face him, gun still resting at his side, "Do not let Alice become human,"

Gilbert spoke through a hesitant voice, "W-why?"

"Because if the contract breaks I'll disappear...and Oz will die."

Gilbert shook his head slowly, "You're lying...it doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense. He is my vessel; if I'm not occupying it then it ceases to have a purpose."

"Bullshit," the raven hissed, "Oz is his own person, regardless if you're with him or not."

"Really? If you truly want to test that theory then let her become human and see what will happen. But given what you told me earlier...do you really want to risk killing him?"

"…the contract's corrupting you. You've changed Jack. You weren't always like this-"

"That's where you're wrong Gilbert, I've always loved her...this is just the first time someone's tried to take her from me. Oz should have kept his priorities straight…but instead he chose you," the man said the words with the worst type of hate.

Gilbert felt himself getting increasingly angry at the man's bitter answers, "If you want her back so bad, why have you been manipulating his emotions for her...why not just fully possess him?" he challenged, hoping he wasn't giving the man any ideas but instead drawing out his past motives.

Jack cast a sad side glance, "She still doesn't remember me. When she does I'll switch places with him. But that's none of your concern. If anything you should start getting accustom to the idea of letting him go for a second time. And believe me...there won't be a way to get him back."

Gilbert's hands balled into tight fist as he yelled, "_Damn you_- Listen to the kind of choices you're giving me! According to you I'd lose him regardless if she becomes human or not. If the contract completes itself he'll be taken back to the Abyss, if we break it you're telling me he'll die. And if we do nothing then you'll just continue to take over him…the hell am I supposed to do?"

"I'll tell you what you should do…you should take me back to Alice before it's too late" Right after the words were said 'Jack's' hands went straight to his head dropping the gun onto the floor. He mumbled something that sounded like, "how dare you," before Gilbert watched his knees fall to the floor. He was breathing heavy, and Gilbert slowly made his way over to the body that was kneeling on the floor, making sure he picked up the gun. He was hesitant at first but as soon as the boy's body began to tremble slightly Gilbert took him into his arms, calling Oz's name.

The boy's eyes fluttered before they struggled to focus on Gilbert, "…what happened?"

"…Jack," the raven answered simply.

"umh," Oz let the sound pass his lips and his eyes slid close once again. After a few minutes the door opened and Father Dennis walked over.

"Is he alright?" the man asked.

Gilbert gave a nod, noticing three men coming into the room. The men were physically built, bodies thick with muscles and faces grim and unpleasant. They were dressed simply; each one in black pants and white shirts. They surrounded Gilbert.

"We'll take him to his room, to rest," one of the men said, voice deeper than Gilbert thought possible. When the man reached down to take Oz, Gilbert shifted the body in his arms, turning sideways the way selfish children did to their belongings when someone threatened to take them.

"I can take him there myself," Gilbert said back.

"I think it's better if you go now, besides, its 2:30 visiting hours are over."

Gilbert shot a glare at Father Dennis, "How can you consider this a 'visit' he's passed out I can't just leave him,'

"But we can't do our jobs with you clinging to him like that," one of the men spat out. Gilbert's hold on Oz tightened when one of the men stepped closer, attempting to pry Oz out of his arms. Then the second man walked behind Gilbert and held him back as Oz was taken from him.

"Wait-" the raven protested,

"Don't worry Gilbert, we'll take it from here. He'll be fine in a few hours," Father Dennis helped Gilbert off the floor and began guiding the man out of the room.

"What are you going to do to him?" Gilbert asked distantly as he watched the men walk down the hall with his lover...strangely, they were going passed Oz's room and up a flight of stairs.

**-::::::::-**

Four men huddled over the peacefully sleeping blond boy. They discussed their suspicions as to what would have caused him to threaten people with a gun, and whether or not it was safe to let him dwell in the downstairs area among the less threatening clients. They gave him a quick scan over, unbuttoning his shirt so they could listen to his heart and make sure it was regular, but, they found something on his skin that they weren't expecting.

"What's that on his chest?" one of the men asked to no one in particular.

"Looks like he's been branded..." another man added.

"In cahoots with the devil, perhaps?" the third man mused, looking at Father Dennis for his opinion.

"After what happened today it's certainly a possibility."

"Are we keeping him up here?"

"Only until we're sure he's not being possessed anymore, we should know when he wakes up. It's too soon to make him stay up here any longer than that…he's not like the others; his cognitive ability's are very sharp. And his brother will start a ruckus if we don't allow him to see the boy. Give it a few weeks and the older one may soften up to the idea of a permanent stay."

"You think he's incurable?" one of the men spoke up.

"I wouldn't doubt it. I'm beginning to think that the nature of his sin is indelible,"

"What do you think his sin is?"

"Something...unspeakable. It's just a hunch for now, though. If I'm able to prove it, then his brother won't be able to justify taking him out of the Ministry. If anything, he'll beg us to keep the boy, for the sake of sparing himself."

"Are you saying that the man has something to do with it?

"Like I said, it's a hunch. One that I can't say more about until I have more evidence. Until then we'll proceed on as planned and keep a close watch on the boy."

**-:::::::::-**

There was a weight on his waist, a heavy pressure that made Oz open his eyes and focus them on whatever was on him. When his eyes focused he didn't have time to gasp at the twisted smile he saw above him, nor was there time to scream when he saw the scissors in the man's hand.

"Blood!"

That's all Oz heard before he forcefully rolled his head away just in time to save his left eye from an ugly fate. Oz struggled beneath the man, bringing his arms up and trying to keep the man's hand from crashing down and stabbing him in the face.

They continued to struggle on like that for a few seconds, Oz occasionally calling for help, but thinking his words would fall on stuffed ears since the smiling man above him was chanting out "Blood" at the pace of his desperate hand that was attempting to make some of the red liquid shed from Oz's face. Unfortunately, the man nicked the side of Oz's wrist causing the boy to jerk his arm backward in surprise, blood rushed down his arm but Oz ignored it and continued to block his face.

Their struggling got so intense that they rolled off the bed, separating them enough for Oz to place some distance between them. Only then did Oz really register that he wasn't in a familiar part of the

Ministry. He backed away into the corner and looked around for something to defend himself with, seeing the man crawling toward him slowly…drooling with a smile that screamed insanity, especially when he saw the blood dying Oz's white sleeve red.

Before the man could lunge at him the door swung open and three men came rushing in. One was Father Dennis and the others Oz had never seen before. The man with the scissors seemed to quiver at the sight, dropping the scissors before he was quickly captured by the large men as Father Dennis watched them with anger in his eyes.

"Should we send him back to his room?" one of the men asked.

"No, he's done far too much for that...even if we are on the second floor, his wickedness can be tolerated no longer," there was a pause, and Father Dennis's eyes seemed to become hidden behind the light reflecting off of his glasses. Oz looked back to the struggling man on the floor, he was beginning to shake his head in fear; he began to mutter... "no..no...Not my blood...not my-"

"Send him to the basement," Father Dennis said with no remorse.

"No! NO," the man was screeching out his plead, "I'll be good...I'll be real good...Not my blood!" he said as he kicked and screamed trying to turn out of the men's hold. But he fought in vain as they pulled his body across the floor and out into the hall.

"Are you alright, Oz?" Father Dennis asked as he walked over to inspect the boy's wound.

Oz nodded, still hearing the man's shrilling screams as they dragged him down the hall, "Um...is he going to be Ok?" the blond looked toward the door, surprised that he was actually worried about the man who was trying to stab him. If it hadn't been for the way the man had pleaded before they took him, he supposed he would be less concerned, but he sounded so…afraid.

"Of course. In his particular case he just needs a few days in the repenting room. It always calms him down when he gets excited like that. Now, let's take care of that arm," he smiled warmly.

Oz just looked at the man, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. Oz followed the man to a near by sink and they rinsed his wrist off and bandaged it quickly. It was a small gash so it stopped bleeding fairly fast. Then the man walked over to a cabinet in the corner of the room and grabbed a long piece of fabric.

"Are you feeling better after getting some rest?" he asked the boy.

"Yes. I don't really remember what happened, but I feel fine now," it was the truth, he knew Jack made an appearance, but he knew nothing of what the man said or did when he took over. The man walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"We can talk about what happened later. But right now, I'm going to take you back to your room. Before we go I need to cover your eyes with this," he held up the white fabric and Oz looked at it.

"May I ask why?" Oz asked warily, he didn't miss the look of hesitation that the man displayed before he spoke.

"The clients on the second floor have very _rare_ sins. We keep them on this floor to conceal their identities so that when they are cured they can leave here without feeling as though others know about their time up here."

Oz was unsure why he didn't believe the man. It could have been the fact that Billy had told him that those on the second floor were considered "incurable" and that they never left the Ministry. Even with all that on his mind he complied. Father Dennis covered his eyes with the fabric and secured it around his head. He took Oz's upper arm and led him out the room.

A horrid smell invaded Oz's nostrils as they walked, it made his stomach turn sickly and his mouth water as if he were about to vomit. It was the smell of human excrements, old urine, and sweat. He could hear people moaning and others calling out nonsense. Some people yelled and others babbled constantly under their breath. He heard the voice of a young girl crying for water, followed by another voice telling her to shut up or he'll "toss her out the window."

Oz jumped when something latched onto his ankle. His body went stiff, feeling disoriented and nervous about the hand that clasped onto him. All he wanted to do was rip the fabric away from his eyes so that he could at least see what/who was clinging to him.

"Mama? Mama is that you? Did you bring me a present?" a man's voice asked from the floor.

"How did you get out of your room? Let go of him!" A pain filled sound was heard before the hand quickly let go of Oz's ankle. Father Dennis hurried Oz along. The blond's heart was beating fast as he was led further away from the agony on the second floor. He heard a door open and the jingling of keys. Wherever they were the air instantly became fresher; no longer putrid. The covering over his eyes was removed and he felt relief wash over him.

He looked beside him and saw that the man was locking the doors behind them. He looked around and noticed they were at the top of the stairwell. He was surprised to see the older man look at the door with hatred as he turned to walk down the stairs with Oz.

If anything, Oz came out of the ordeal with two revelations. The first one was how Billy had not been lying when he said horrible things happened to those on the second floor; Oz didn't even see anything and he knew it was true. The chaos up there made the downstairs appear as normal as ever. The second revelation was how he hoped that he would never be one of those people who were sent up there to stay.

However, he did feel the curiosity in him double as he wondered what type of people they were keeping up there. He also felt bad for them. Whatever conditions they were surviving in didn't seem pleasant and he briefly wondered what type of sin equated living in that state of misery.

When they reached his room Father Dennis turned to him one last time, "I'm not sure if one of the sisters told you or not, but tonight you're allowed a bath. Though, you have to share the washroom with others."

"That's ok," he forced a smile, "A bath's a bath, after all," he shrugged, feeling himself calm down at the idea of finally being able to wash properly instead of using the sink. And he most definitely wanted a bath now that he felt the smell from the second floor still clinging to him.

"By the way Oz, the quicker you come to terms with your sin the faster we can cleanse you of it…you know that right?"

Oz nodded, "I know. But I really can't think of anything in particular."

The man eyed him for a moment, then pushed up his glasses, "If you do think of something, please don't be afraid to tell me. Dare I say that if we find it for you, there may be consequences."

"…Consequences?"

The man didn't answer him and instead walked down the hallway, leaving Oz to wonder just what he meant.

**XXX**

He had just come back from the Ministry for the second time in a row, hoping to spot Oz back in his room, but the boy still wasn't in there. Only Billy would come to the window and wave at him energetically as he laughed about how Oz still hadn't come back yet.

A thought ran through his mind that he should just march right in there and let the barrel of his gun do the talking if people refused to listen to him. All those in charge in there needed to know that this was _no game_ - they couldn't just do whatever they wanted to his master and get away with it -written contract or no written contract.

But before he acted too drastically he tried to hold himself together, remembering that they would have no reason to hurt Oz especially if the boy was no longer a threat when Jack wasn't influencing him.

So, the raven sat next to the window, hands fiercely shaking. One hand guiltily held a small glass of whisky, chilled with a single chunk of ice, and the other held the phone to his ear. As it rang his eyes stared out the window, as he waited for the person to pick up; knowing he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts at that moment.

Jack was giving him a horrible ultimatum. If he let Jack live and just kept Oz away from Alice, he wouldn't put it passed the man to try and kill himself/Oz like all the times he tried in the past, including that day. It would make Gilbert feel like he needed to sleep with one eye open and glued to the boy. The other hypothetical option was if he brought Oz back to Alice, Jack would get his way and Gilbert would be left behind as Jack slowly tried to erase any trace of the boy that was left. But that was only

"Jack's idealistic version" of what could happen because Gilbert knew Break wouldn't just hand the girl over, and if Gilbert asked him to the man would laugh in his face. Also, he didn't think he could just give Oz up that easily, it was like someone was asking him to voluntarily and permanently stop breathing.

And lastly, if he did get rid of Jack somehow or if he didn't do anything and Alice somehow did become human…he ran the risk of Jack's threat being accurate and then-

"Rainsworth residence,"

"Break, its Gilbert."

"Gilbert. How nice to hear from you. Are you calling to apologize to me?"

"Apologize…For what?"

"For the rude way you treated me the last time I saw you."

"_No_. I'm not calling for that,"

"Pity…Then what is it I can do for you?"

Gilbert took a long sip of his drink, not even flinching at the sharp taste, "Jack...he showed himself today," he said quietly like his mind was off somewhere else.

"I see...What did he say?"

"He said that-" the raven took a deep breath before speaking, mind attempting to fog over, but he pushed past it, "-that if Alice became human the contract would break and he would disappear….and if he disappears Oz will die. Please tell me there's no way for her to become human."

He heard a chuckle through the receiver, "All of a sudden there's a way to break the contract and you don't want it...how amusing….and ironic."

"I was wrong Ok, Are you happy now?" he grumbled.

"For the moment" he laughed, "But don't get depressed just yet. If Jack said that then it means that my last theory is the correct one...the contract is impairing his judgment, Gilbert. He's either bluffing or he may truly believe his own words...but that doesn't make them true."

"I know but...I'm worried. How will I know it's a lie unless it happens, and if it does happen and Jack was telling the truth it will be too late...I can't risk losing Oz again."

"Think rationally," seriousness took hold of Break's tone, "Before the contract was made did Oz appear to be sustained by Jack in any way?"

Even if his mind was slowing a bit, Gilbert was accustom to being able to zoom through his childhood memories of the boy; for he was fairly good at it given how often he had done it when Oz was ripped away from him, "No...He was just a normal kid,"

"Then there's your answer. If Oz was just fine without the contract twelve years ago then he'll be fine after it's severed. And I don't think Jack alone is the reason Oz exist...don't let him scare you into thinking that. Personally, I think that's a truly narcissistic thought process for Jack to have developed,"

"What about Alice, there really isn't a way to make her human right?...I mean, that sounds impossible."

If there was one thing he hated about Break it was his different tones of laughter. Every laugh he had contained a level of mischievousness, but the laugh he heard at the moment was by far the sneakiest,

"Nothing's impossible, Gilbert. Remember that Alice is extremely special...and that alone make anything possible."

"Is that your way of telling me she's actually becoming human as we speak?"

"(sigh) If it is happening there's no way to reverse it..." he lied, he knew he could delay Alice's humanness if she were to change back into B-Rabbit, but that's exactly what Break _didn't_ want to happen.

Break continued speaking, "If Jack shows himself again just don't listen to his nonsense, the contract has corrupted his thinking. And there is also a loop hole in his so called 'warning'."

"A loop hole?"

"From what I understand, Jack placed more emphasis on the contract being broken, resulting in his disappearance. But he never specifically said what would happen if you just got rid of him and simply left the contract as is."

"…Maybe he didn't mention it because he thinks we wouldn't be able to get rid of him any other way."

"Still, you shouldn't let what he said prevent you from continuing to try. Speaking of which, it seems you're making progress on that if you were able to lure him out. Who's been helping you?"

"We're at the Ministry of Freedom."

"The name rings a bell…"

"I honestly don't think they're helping at all, but Oz won't leave. He thinks they can help us...but I don't like the way they operate, everyone here seems suspicious."

Break chuckled darkly, "As does anyone who gets too close to your precious master,"

"I'm not being paranoid, Break. Something isn't right here."

"I trust your judgment. My only advice to you would be to keep your eyes peeled, but still attempt to be open to any method that could remove Jack from Oz's body."

Gilbert huffed tiredly, "…Alright,"

"Call me if there are any more important developments,"

**XXX**

The bath that he had was the worst. The water was not warm enough, nor was there enough water in the tub he sat in. And then there was the little problem of the four other young men and a female attendant being present as well. Oz did his best to not complain, choosing instead to simply scrub every part of him clean and hide his contract with a spare face cloth.

Thankfully, everyone had a separate tub, and Oz was able to use his own soap – it was the scent that Gilbert loved, the one that smelled of light pink Peony flowers.

After his bath he was feeling calmer, he re-bandaged his wrist and waited patiently for the night to begin. When the sun was finally taken as the night's hostage, and the moon reigned over the sky instead, Oz crept out of his bed and put on his clothes; he was going to see Gilbert. Silently, he put on his brown boots and buttoned his white shirt; making sure his sleeve effectively hid the cut on his wrist.

For the last three days Gilbert would come and check on him, slipping through the shadows and getting Oz out of bed so that he could see the boy's face, sneak him a quick dinner, and make sure he was Ok. He'd also come by briefly in the early morning to pass him a few muffins through the window, or a blueberry scone to hold Oz over until he could bring him a hardy lunch.

But that night, Oz wanted to go see him instead. He missed the man, needing Gilbert's closeness to help take his mind off of the bizarre happenings of the day. And he also had _intention_s that night; half because his insides were going wild with desire for the man, and half because he wanted to satisfy the deep need that he felt invade Gilbert's hands at night when the man would catch himself laying Oz down onto the cool grass outside.

Oz smirked when he thought about the night before. They had got so lost in each other that Gilbert quickly backed away from him when he realized that he slid Oz's night shorts off his narrow hips.

And still, there was also a small portion of Oz that was going to the inn for another reason. In the case if the touchy red head girl who seemed to be trying to push up in between him and Gilbert…Oz wanted to at least leave his mark on the man, regardless if she could see it or not.

He would see the girl peering at them from the window every afternoon that Gilbert would sneak him lunch. She always seemed to have deep envy in her eyes as she watched them; even though he and Gilbert were never doing anything that he would deem "romantic", they usually just sat and talked while Oz ate.

Oz opened the window, slipping one leg through and then the other until he was sitting on the ledge. He had to be sure to come back before the sun was up or else he'd be caught. And after what he saw that day with the man who attacked him he wasn't sure he wanted to get on the Ministry's bad side...who knows what happened to that guy, hopefully nothing bad.

"_Hehehee _Where are you going, Oz?" Billy asked a bit too loudly as he watched Oz prepare to jump out the window.

Oz looked over to the boy, trying to see him in the dark, "_Shh,_ I'll be back soon. Don't tell anyone I left, Ok."

"Ok. _Hehehe_. Hey Oz?"

"Hm?"

"Is that what your sin is?"

Oz was confused, "My sin?"

"Yeah. You kiss your brother, so that must be your sin."

Oz was startled, wondering just how many times Billy was watching them at night, "If I tell you this secrete, you promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Um hum. Um hum," Billy nodded eagerly.

"...Gil's not actually my brother."

"Oh...who is he then?" the curiosity in the boy's voice appeared to stop him from laughing.

"He's my…" _everything _"...best friend."

"But isn't it still bad to kiss him, 'cause he's not a girl? _Hehehe,_"

"I don't think it's bad...besides, I'm not sure I believe in sins anymore" he whispered looking out into the night.

"What do you believe in?"

Oz shrugged a shoulder"...bad circumstances, I suppose," with that said, Oz mumbled a quick goodbye and leapt to the ground.

**-::::::::-**

Oz entered the front door of the inn, in the glowing light of the oil lamp on the desk he saw a man look him over. The man stared at him as though he was trying to remember if he saw Oz from somewhere.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Gilbert Nightray."

The man shifted a little, "Are you a friend of his?"

"Yeah. He told me he was staying here, so I thought I'd stop by," Oz smiled.

The man leaned forward and held his head up with the back of his hand. He didn't say anything as he examined Oz some more "Do you live around here?"

The blond thought quickly, he didn't know much about Perretta so it wasn't safe to say "yes". For all he knew everyone in the town might know each other or something, making him look like a liar if the man already knew everyone in the town, "Um, no. I'm here with my family. We're staying at another inn closer to town."

"Your family let you come out this late?" he asked with a raised brow.

_What's with all the questions..._

"Is there a reason not to?" Oz asked as politely as he could manage.

"No, not really. I'm just surprised since this place is so close to the Ministry. People escape from there often and it shakes up the town a bit…You never know what kind of people might be on the loose."

Oz tried to turn his expression into one of innocent and clueless interest, "Is it a prison?"

"Might as well be," the man chuckled, "Though, they don't call it the Ministry of freedom for nothing. The only people who get any freedom are the families who catch a break from having to deal with-"the man stopped himself from finishing, "Anyway, never you mind," he smiled weakly, "Gilbert's on the second floor - the third room on your right."

"Thank you."

Oz didn't give the man another chance to talk his ear off, or ask him any questions; instead he ascended the stairs, only stopping when he heard Gilbert's smooth deep voice talking to someone. Oz hid behind the wall and listened to the girl come out of Gilbert's room.

"I'll see you in the morning," she said.

"I'm busy in the morning-"

"That's Ok, I'll see you when you come back. I want to introduce you to some of my friends in town, since we didn't get a chance to -"

Oz heard the door close and the girl let out an _eeh _sound as her conversation was cut off by the rude raven. Oz had to stop himself from laughing, "Have a good night, let me know if you want more tea," she said loudly enough for Gilbert to hear from behind the door, receiving no response from him.

Oz pretended to "suddenly" be coming up the stairs. And when he turned the corner he bumped into her by accident. The girl was taller than him so she had to look down. She recognized him right away; most likely remembering him from all the times that she was spying on them from the window. Her features twisted and tensed, already feeling threatened by his presence.

"Hi, do you know where Gilbert Nightray is?" Oz asked, faking like he had no idea.

A pause, "Y-yes, he is in this room. But I think he's asleep so maybe you should come back tomorrow."

"Thanks," Oz ignored the last part of her comment and made his way to Gilbert's door. The boy knocked on the door, aware that the girl was still in the hall with him watching to see what would happen next.

"_What!_" Gilbert appeared at the door, swinging it open with an edgy fury at being bothered for the umpteenth time. But before Oz could really register the man's abrupt appearance he was embraced and literally swept off his feet – brown boots dangling almost a foot above black ones. Oz shifted his arms around Gilbert's neck, completely forgetting the girl in the hall as he felt Gilbert nestle his face in his neck.

"Did you miss me?" Oz joked.

Gilbert finally put Oz down and started throwing questions at him, "Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?" he asked. Oz knew the man was referring to earlier when Jack made his appearance.

Oz shook his head, "I'm fine, Gil." He noticed that the man had his hat and overcoat on; he was probably about to go over to the Ministry.

Gilbert's shoulders relaxed and then he escorted Oz into the room and shut the door behind them; neither of them paying any attention to the lonely girl that was in the hall with them.

"I was just on my way over there," he took off his black coat and hat, placing them on the coat rack in the corner.

"Then it's a good thing I came when I did. I wanted to come see you for a change" Oz said as he looked around the room, he felt golden eyes inspecting him for damage before Gilbert switched into servant mode.

The raven patted the top of the empty armchair, "Sit down. Let me get you some dinner."

"That's ok, I'm not very hungry tonight."

"Does that mean they actually fed you something decent today?"

Oz flopped down in the comfy chair, "You could say that," he lied; he just didn't have an appetite after everything that happened that day. He stretched out and watched the man pour two hot cups of tea from the tea chart in the corner.

Gilbert added some honey to the tea and stirred it as he spoke, "I was worried about you today. They wouldn't even let me stay with you."

"That's not surprising given how strict they are…" the blond said through a yawn. The man brought the boy his tea on a small saucer and finally sat in the chair opposite of him.

"Why did they bring you upstairs?" he asked. Oz looked up from his tea cup, body tensing slightly as he recalled the near death experience, and the blindfolded walk he took through the war zone called the second floor. Without knowing it, Gilbert asked a good question, one that Oz asked himself a few times that day. Why was he placed up there…? Didn't they have a medical room on the first floor? He resisted the urge to cradle his wounded wrist in remembrance.

There was an extra long pause between Gilbert's question and Oz's response, "It was the medical room," he said at last. When he watched golden eyes narrow he knew the man could sense that things weren't that simple. So Oz changed the subject.

"It's cozy in here," he made sure to let his eyes skim around the room so that he was no longer getting silently interrogated by gold eyes. His gaze quickly fell on the side table that had a half empty bottle of whisky on it. Oz tilted his head at the sight.

When Gilbert followed Oz's line of vision he bit his lip and blushed, quickly looking back at Oz, expecting to get a lecture. But the boy shook his head and looked at him gently before he took another sip of tea.

"I don't mind. I know you've been trying your best."

Gilbert nodded lightly and looked down, blush still on his cheeks until Oz spoke again.

"What did Jack say to you?"

The raven looked up at him; brow mashing in deep apprehension. The sorrowful look Gilbert had in his eyes was a replica of the despair filled expressions that he often carried when they were children. Back then, a look like that always appeared right before Gilbert was getting ready to ball his eyes out.

Oz's heart tightened.

But this time Gilbert's hands just shook slightly as he held his tea cup, lowering his eyes again, speaking quietly, "He said that if the contract were to break…he'd disappear and..." Gilbert's voice strained to say the last words, "you'd die."

Oz let the words sink in and then closed his eyes with a quiet huff, "Well… that's depressing," he scratched the side of his face, and laughed a little, "…Makes me want to have a hard drink myself," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

After he said that Gilbert replied swiftly, "Break said not to worry about it…he thinks Jack's lying."

"Really?"

Gilbert nodded, and put his tea down on the small coffee table.

"Maybe its best if we listen to him for now, Break's usually right about things like this."

Even with that positive statement, Gilbert still had that look on his face as his eyes flickered over Oz; fear focused on the boy as if he would suddenly disappear in a cloud of smoke. It was so nostalgic that Oz was expecting the man's eyes to start filling up with tears at any second.

So, Oz got up and walked over to the man. He stood before him as Gilbert continued to sit in the armchair. Oz brushed the raven's silky hair out of his golden eyes and Gilbert chanced a pain filled look at him, before looking at Oz's chest instead, "Hey…what's with that look, huh?," he said in a soft playful voice, hoping to get a half smile out of the man…but he didn't.

It seemed like his playful words only caused his lover's expression to get even more disheartened, almost like Oz's comforting closeness was only serving as a worrisome reminder of how much he would be lost without the boy. The blond slid his warm hands onto the sides of the man's handsome face, using one of his thumbs to caress his cheek, "…Don't be sad, Gil," he whispered reassuringly,

"Everything's going to work out," the man nodded a little, and Oz tilted the raven's head up. When the man looked up into his eyes, Oz smiled gently and leaned down; he kissed the middle of Gilbert's forehead. The blond left deep long pecks on the worry creases in the man's brow, feeling Gilbert settle down, and his forehead smooth out as Oz held his face, and kissed his skin.

After a few more kisses were trailed across the man's forehead, Gilbert buried his face into the boy's lower chest, letting one of his arms circle around Oz's waist to bring him closer. The other hand gently rested flat against Oz's hip. The blond slid his fingers through the wavy black hair and massaged the raven's scalp and used his other hand to slowly rub the raven's back.

They stayed that way for a while, Gilbert taking in deep breaths of Oz's scent and Oz comforting him as much as possible with soothing touches and love lead strokes; allowing the man to cling to him for as long as he wanted. Gilbert turned his head so that his right ear was pressed up against the boy's stomach, "…You smell good," he said, sighing contently.

Oz laughed lightly, "I'm glad you think so."

"…Oz?"

"Hm?" he traced the back of his fingers over the shell of the man's left ear, then softly down the length of his face.

With his next words, Gilbert's fingers instinctively tightened around the fabric of Oz's shirt, and he shut his gold eyes, "…Don't go back tonight."

"I wasn't going to. I'll go back in the morning…Ok?" Gilbert nodded against him, and then he pulled away, continuing to hold the boy's waist as he looked back up at Oz one last time. His thumbs ran across the boy's hips as he held them, then he looked away shyly as he spoke, "I…I bought you some chocolates."

Oz smiled brightly, "Why do you always spoil me?"

"Why shouldn't I?" he said in response, as he got up from the chair, heading over to the dresser where the box of chocolates rested. Oz followed him and opened the box, giving the man an excited thank you and a peck on the cheek as he examined the assorted treats.

It was like a forbidden luxury, something that Oz most certainly took for granted at his own estate where it was always available and abundant.

"Have some," Oz offered the box to the man as he took one of the chocolates and ate one.

"No thanks, I don't want any," Gilbert walked over and took his tea cup off the coffee table, then sat down on the edge of the bed.

They enjoyed each others company in a comfortable silence for at least twenty minutes. All the while Gilbert's eyes rested on Oz, who was humming quietly as he ate his chocolate. It never ceased to amaze the man how Oz rarely let anything get him upset; even if it was a death sentence. The boy simply acknowledged that it was an unfortunate possibility, made a plan to correct it, and then went about his regular business as if nothing could hold him back. Seeing the boy act so calmly about it helped tone down some of Gilbert's worry- but only a little. Gilbert suppose that Jack's words were really no different than the fate that Oz would have had if the contract were to complete itself, and Oz had been living with that bleak knowledge for two years. This new development was probably nothing new to the boy – even more so because there was no proof it would happen.

The boy started looking through various books on the shelf. At some point, Gilbert noticed his whole aura was dripping with mischief. The way he grazed his fingers across the books and lazily opened them, before placing them back on the shelf like they weren't good enough to touch his hands. Gilbert tried not to get ensnared by the boy's presence, but it was becoming unnaturally difficult. He supposed he was just getting tired.

"That girl seems really intrigued by you…I think she likes you," the boy said out of the blue.

"ME?" he said, pointing at himself in surprise, "I can't imagine why...I barely say anything to her. Earlier today she took me in town so I could get a few things...But I left her on her own for the most part."

"That's mean, Gil," the boy teased.

"So…she's annoying," he said under his breath.

"Do you think she's cute?" the blond asked sweetly as he walked over to the bed and sat down beside his servant.

Gilbert shrugged and took a sip of his tea, "I never thought about it," he said honestly.

Oz laughed lightly and laid back on the bed, Gilbert naturally looked over at him –and he noticed that his shirt rose up a little. Gilbert eyes unintentionally drifted across the small amount of exposed skin of Oz's stomach as the boy stretched out lazily; arms above his head - back arched. When the boy yawned and looked over at Gilbert the raven averted his eyes, especially when a sly smile crept onto Oz's lips when the boy realized what Gilbert was looking at.

Oz sat up and sighed, breath sounding like a soft melody. There was silence, and Gilbert could feel something in the air building up, waiting to be acknowledged, his back was getting tight as he waited for the unknown happening and the tea cup clanked lightly against the small saucer in his hand as he tried to keep his fingers steady.

"Hey, Gil?" pause. Gilbert braced himself, _Why do I have a feeling he's going to- _"Do you want to watch me take my clothes off?"

_**Crash!**_

Gilbert didn't even bother trying to pick up the broken tea cup he dropped, he just stared down at it with a mix of shock and frustration, listening to Oz laugh beside him. The boy had done just what he thought he would; wait for the perfect moment to take advantage of Gilbert's physical frustration before he said something to set his insides aflame. And most of all, the boy had the audacity to say it with the most casual of tones, as if he were saying "_Is it ok if I close the window?"_ or something of the sort.

Gold eyes glared at the boy, "Why do you do that to me?"

"Do what?" Oz asked innocently. Instantly climbing on top of the man and forcing Gilbert to lie back on the bed. Gilbert nearly forgot what he was saying when he felt the boy's hot thighs bearing down on him.

"-Ask me questions like that," the man continued.

"I only ask Gil questions that he's too afraid to ask me himself. So... what's your answer?" he smirked.

Gilbert's whole face flushed red while he hesitated to finally nod his head in a quick _yes_.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you," the boy taunted, putting his hand to his ear and leaning in closer.

Gilbert looked away, "...yes," he mumbled with soft agitation.

Oz slid his hands over the man's chest, feeling a shiver run through both of their bodies, "Yes...what?"

Gilbert quickly looked back at him, with an expression that said, _are you kidding me _"You know what I'm talking about, Oz!"

Oz pulled away apathetically, earning a soft grunt from the man as he purposely ground himself into Gilbert's semi hard arousal. He pulled his fingers back, looking at his nails with a bored expression, "Still...How will I know what you want if you don't use your words?"

"You just want me to say it so that..." he swallowed "…so that you can make fun of me for sounding like a pervert," he said between his teeth.

Oz tilted his head with a smile, "Would I really do something like that?" he asked sweetly.

"Yes, you would," the raven fumed.

Oz laughed, "If you say it, I swear I won't make fun of you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The man swallowed hard and blushed even harder"...I-.."

"..Yes...?"

Gilbert mumbled out something painfully but it didn't even sound like real words to Oz.

"I didn't quite catch that."

"To hell with this! I'll do it myself."

Gilbert sat up, hands going to Oz's shirt buttons, undoing them quickly while Oz giggled throughout the process. The man was starting to pant softly, and Oz helped him by beginning to unbutton Gilbert's shirt, hands undoing buttons almost as fast as the desperate kisses that Gilbert was starting to leave over his now naked neck and shoulder.

Once Oz pushed the raven's shirt open he landed a deep kiss on his lips, letting his tongue tease the space between his lover's lips in a sensual lick before Gilbert let him in. Their tongues merged, rubbing against each other in the most heated of ways. Oz moaned when their hips began to shift against each other. It didn't take long for either of their erections to begin to show through the fabric of their pants. He pulled away and slipped down the man's body.

Gilbert watched Oz gracefully slide to the floor, making sure he didn't land in the broken glass from the tea cup. His hands worked at the buttons on Gilbert's slacks and tug them down, and then he removed the man's shoes. Golden eyes, hazed as the fabric fell from his legs; warm hands began to slide up his bare thighs as Oz positioned himself between Gilbert's knees.

Gilbert sat up fully, "Oz…what-"

"We don't have any lubricant. This will make it easier," the boy assured using that as an excuse to taste the man. He knew that Gilbert was still uncomfortable with the idea of Oz being the one to do something like that to him; since his servant status made him feel like it should be the other way around.

Gilbert's protest were cut short when Oz gently took hold of his throbbing length and placed small kisses along the underside of it, tongue flickering out every few seconds making zigzag licks slowly up to the tip. Gilbert could barely get out Oz's name before he felt himself tense at the amazing warmth that surrounded the sensitive crown of his member.

He clutched the bed sheets and dared his eyes to open as he watched green irises stare up at him wantonly, and flushed cheeks cave in slightly as Oz tightened his mouth around him and began to suck gently.

The raven bit his lip and the muscles in his legs tightened. He couldn't believe the arousing sight he was seeing and the marvelous feeling of Oz's mouth and tongue lapping and nibbling at him greedily. The boy let no part of his member go untouched, un-licked, or neglected- not to mention all the beautiful sound that Oz made as he did it.

When he felt the boy starting to focus on taking him deeper into his mouth, Gilbert couldn't hold back a ragged groan, which in turn made Oz smile around his length before he started to move his lips up and down his shaft. Gilbert definitely understood why Oz reacted the way he did when Gilbert had done the same things to him.

Actually, he understood so much that he forced the boy to stop. He knew if Oz kept that up then he'd reach his climax too soon, and…he didn't want it to end just yet, he wanted- no- _needed_ to be inside the boy.

Oz climbed back on top of him, kissing his way up Gilbert's stomach and hovering over him as their lips met again. Gilbert undid the buttons on Oz's shorts and the boy kicked them off the bed along with his underwear and boots.

The raven placed his first two fingers in his mouth and wet them as much as he could; sneaking his hand between their bodies and up to Oz's entrance. Oz assisted him by shifting further up Gilbert's body, so the man's fingers could go in as far as possible given the slightly awkward angle.

Oz gasped into the kiss when Gilbert's finger entered him, his abdominal muscles twisted in anticipation, and the raven did not make him wait. Gilbert was shocked to remember just how tight the boy's insides were, and the thought made him more eager as he began to prepare him. He thrust his first finger in and out as quickly as possible, never once losing the pace of the hot kiss; not even when Oz began to shudder when the second finger was added.

Gilbert could feel Oz panting every time their lips parted. And the sensation of his gentle breath and hushed noises were making him crazy. When he felt that the boy was ready, Gilbert slipped his fingers out of him, thinking that he'd reverse their positions like the first time they had done it, but Oz prevented him from getting on top.

"Gil should relax tonight," that's all he said as he forced Gilbert to continue to lay on his back.

Gilbert wasn't puzzled for long, since Oz was beginning to maneuver himself on top of him; or in layman's terms – Oz was going to ride his body.

_That's a nice...position. _Gilbert blushed at the thought as he swallowed back a tremor of arousal. The position gave him an excellent view of everything between the boy's thighs, and gave him complete access to the erection that Oz had on display. The raven rubbed his thumb against the tip of the boy's shaft as he heard Oz give a low moan and attempt to ready himself to become impaled.

Gilbert knew he was in need of the boy's body, but what he didn't know was how consumed he would become as he watched the boy lower his hips and struggle to take Gilbert's manhood into his body. Oz winced a little, and Gilbert tried not to rush him as he took in the raven's tip and caused Gilbert's toes to scrunch up at the scorching friction. He held his breath, almost as steady as he held Oz's thin hips while the boy finally sat down on him – making Gilbert's teeth clench and a heated hiss of pleasure leave from his mouth.

Gilbert didn't mind waiting for Oz to adjust to him again, because he wanted a moment to just appreciate being in the blond after what seemed like forever. If spoken out loud it would sound corny, but Gilbert knew that besides the fact that making love to Oz felt unbelievably gratifying, it was also comforting. It was one of the only times that he felt completely connected to Oz, in a way that no one else was able to connect to the boy; a time where no one could come between them.

As Oz finished adjusting the black haired man admired the lithe form of Oz's smooth body, both of them breathing heavy and gazing at each other with lust and love filled eyes. That was until Oz began to move himself back and forth. It was nice and slow. An alluring demonstration to see as the blond forced Gilbert's manhood to glide into his depths. It was a conflict of interest because as much as Gilbert loved seeing the muscles of Oz's stomach tighten and feeling them stretch out under his fingertips as Oz moved on him, Gilbert's hands couldn't help but assist Oz in moving a bit quicker.

Yellow eyes widened when he felt himself slip deeper into the boy as he forced the gliding to get faster. And the sharp "_ah"_ that he heard from the boy's lips undid a tight coil in him that had been winding up since the first moment that he entered the boy- he knew he found the sweet spot in Oz's body.

Gilbert needed to do his best not to reach his peak too quickly, so he slowed them down a bit finding Oz's lips and kissing them gently, hoping that he could gather himself at the slower pace. But Oz was making everything so hard for him, because the slower pace just made Oz force Gilbert to enter him deeper, and more harshly, until Gilbert gave up on trying to hold back and began thrusting upward to meet Oz's speed.

And yes, there was just far too many things happening at the same time - the feeling of their rough and perfectly synchronized movements, Oz's beautiful smell of Peony and light traces of his sweat, the small hands griping his shoulders, the sensations of his pretty thighs slamming down onto him. And all of that mixed with Oz's heated sounds, the same sounds that would either end up directly in Gilbert's mouth, against his lips, or directly in his ear when Oz would lean forward, breathing sporadically against the side of his face.

Gilbert really didn't know how long he could last with all of that.

In the middle of a deep kiss and an equally deep thrust he felt Oz come to an abrupt stop, wondering why the boy would place an interruption in between their perfect fluid grinding. But he soon received his answer as he watched the boy get up and reverse his position. Gilbert nearly lost his breath when he was shown an unobstructed image of his thick length sliding back into Oz's rosy entrance, fitting between his rounded bottom cheeks.

"O-oz…"Gilbert said, completely astounded.

Seeing Oz act like such an untamed beauty, made something in the back of his mind want to hide the boy away somewhere, unwilling to entertain the idea of someone else ever experiencing this side of the boy. He was sure that if other people - particularly men-ever discovered just what Oz was capable of behind closed doors, they would either lock Oz up, or steal him away. He was also sure that he had a very _unique_ lover on his hands, because from what he heard about the "typical" male and female relationships…most people either kept most of their clothes on or there was only one position that they entertained.

But that was not the case with them.

Gilbert's hips bucked when he felt Oz picking up the pace once again. The boy placed his hands on top of Gilbert's thighs, leaning forward and taking Gilbert's length with him. A deep groan escaped his lips, eyes being feed just as much as his body was, his blood was hot with pleasure and he was ready to take a break from relaxing and letting Oz take the lead, choosing instead to change their position again, sudden dominance surprising Oz a little when he caught the boy's hips in mid descent. Oz was lightweight so it wasn't hard to shift the boy over into the new position; he kissed up the boy's spine as he placed Oz on his knees, and lifted his hips into the air. He heard Oz give a hoarse squeak when Gilbert entered in him again, finding the sweet spot as if they had done this many times before, when in fact it was only their second time.

-::::::::-

Oz's half lidded eyes seemed to blur in ecstasy and his head began to spin. As Gilbert's thick stiffness slammed into that wonderful spot and the man's hard body covered his own like a warm human blanket. Oz's vocals couldn't withhold the man's name on his tongue any longer. It almost sounded as if he were pleading, calling the man's name and having that sound mix with Gilbert's grunts of pleasure and slamming hips, all of which came out in between the hot kisses he was sending down Oz's shoulder blades and inserting his warm tongue in the small dips of his upper spine, until he settled for burying his face in Oz's hair.

Oz was ready to take his length into his hands because the pleasure he was receiving from the back made him in feel the need to release the pressure that was at its peak in the front, especially when he felt Gilbert say his name, and come very hard inside of him. Oz shuttered, needing his own release. His hand crept up his own thigh, but, before he could take his length in his hand he felt Gilbert quickly slip out of his body and the heat from the man above him disappeared. Oz was tempted to turn around to see what Gilbert was doing until-

"g-_GIL!" _he screamed out in high pitched surprise.

Oz's cheeks flushed a terrible red color, his brow knitted and his eyes seemed to cross before they slipped closed; mouth making a small "O" shape as his body withered violently. His trembling thighs made the bed shake. All Oz could concentrate on was the slippery tongue that was lapping slowly at his entrance and how a strong tight hand began to massage his aching length.

"Ah…ah_aa" _Not only was the feeling new to him, but it seemed so...so _naughty_; and he _loved it_.

To anyone else the action may have been baffling, given how much a shy man the raven was, but Oz knew that even though Gilbert was a blushing adorable mess sometimes, the man was highly skilled when he used his body, he knew exactly where, how, and when to touch the blond and he wasn't afraid to try new things that would keep the boy begging him for more, and now was one of those times. The way Gilbert let his soft tongue slowly dip into the center of him and then lead the wet appendage down toward his sac all while stroking his erection. Oz came hard on the blankets, knowing he was making a mess of things but he supposed none of that mattered.

Oz buried his face into the bed, moaning deeply as his lover finished him off. It was an incredible finish, one that left Oz shivering and his limbs twitching.

He didn't have the energy to move.

He felt Gilbert collecting him in his arms and bringing him up to the top of the bed, covering them with the blankets. He was surprised that Gilbert had any energy left, because Oz's head was still spinning. He hardly noticed Gilbert blow out the lamp. But he did know when the man hovered over him, kissing his forehead, moving down his cheek and onto his neck…where he nibbled and lapped at Oz's skin, it was soothing, yet hard enough to leave a love mark in the morning. The boy sighed and faded slowly, eyes wanting to close as he left light touches up his lover's strong biceps.

"Why are you so good to me…?" Oz asked in a pleased whisper.

"…Because you're everything…" and with that, Oz's eyes slid shut, letting Gilbert continue to kiss his body to sleep.

**XXX**

The next morning was one that Oz felt arrived too soon, way too soon. When he opened his eyes his heartbeat sped up unsteadily when he realized where he was and whose arms he was in. Any other day it would have been a fine blessing to wake up in Gilbert's arms- but not on a day that Oz was supposed to be at the Ministry. Oz used the sunlight in the window to estimate what the time could have been, by the way the sun hit the lower part of the window and kept the rest of the room cast in a shadow, he could tell that it was still very early, maybe around five. He could also tell by the energetic way the birds had been singing. Oz turned over and looked at the raven.

Surprisingly, Gilbert was snoring...loudly. The man was completely still, seeming to be suffering from the most severe type of exhaustion, and Oz knew why...and the reason made him smile as he slipped out of Gilbert's arms and put a pillow there instead; as to not wake Gilbert with his physical absence.

Yes, Oz knew. He knew that he exhausted Gilbert the night before, and it had made the blond boy proud to know that he could make a naturally light sleeper like Gilbert in a deep sleep that only sleep inducing substances could achieve. The man deserved to sleep in for a change, he was always going above and beyond for Oz, and he was entitled to undisturbed rest.

Oz felt satisfied as he eased himself off the bed and stretched, finding his clothes and putting them on quickly before he crept out of the man's room; casting a loving glance at his raven one last time.

He still had time to sneak into the Ministry and pretend that he was asleep. He walked down the hall of the inn, noticing the red haired girl coming out of a room near by.

"Good morning," his usual smile was on his face as he greeted her, but the girl's eyes remained cast to the floor, red bangs making it hard for him to see her eyes. But he did in fact catch her whisper.

"You'll be punished. And when you are, only then will you receive a smile from me."

Oz stopped on the top step, never looking at the girl, both of them just stood there not facing each other as silence crept up beside them, until finally she spoke, "I heard you tainting him last night…acting like the devil's harlot. I hope the Ministry locks you away for the rest of your days; far away from good men with weak minds and vulnerable hearts."

"Those are some pretty harsh words considering how early it is," he gave a small laugh, "But, you're right about one thing...Gil is a good man, one of a kind, actually. But you should be careful about making such quick assumptions; Gil is not weak minded...and I don't think his heart's as vulnerable as you might think. Have a good day."

Oz continued down the stairs, never looking over at the girl that he left standing there.

* * *

Note:

Before the Brealice fans murder me...let me explain * takes cover under the desk*

So I pulled their lemon out of this chapter and moved it to the next one for a few reasons. For one...the timing is off, I wanted them to already be out of the Rainsworth mansion and have a special day together first that led up to the lemon (I know I'm overly romantic sometimes LOL ), but I couldn't do that in this one cause of how lengthy it already was, and for the fact that Break had to be available via phone for Gil. Also, where I had the lemon originally positioned was just out right awkward. Plus I need to re-think it a little, cause I stared at it for three months ( yes, just stared) completely unsatisfied with the way it was flowing. Thus...I ripped it out of this chapter at the last minute (which made the chapter quicker to edit since my lemons tend to take up a lot of space and take forever to write)

So...I hope it's not too much of a disappointment.

I'm excited about the next few chapters...yes, very excited for many reasons that I'll keep my mouth shut about.

As always BIG thanks for reading, you guys are awesome.

Until next time (which should be a lot sooner than last time)

-Rage


	15. Protecting Pillows and Blankets

:D... D:

Warning: Lemon BoyxGirl; And other suggestive situations.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of its characters  
_

* * *

**XXX Protecting Pillows and Blankets XXX**

His teeth clenched together tightly. So tight, that each one threatened to crumble in his mouth. His face was in his hands, fingertips digging into his hairline painfully. The man's hunched back made his torso curve forward, as if he were going to fold into himself. And the blankets, mocked his naked body as they continued to hug his legs and rest bunched around his waist; pretending to be the arms that should have been wrapped around his midsection.

If his whole body wasn't shaking from disorientation, he would have laughed at himself. He was feeling similar to the way many people felt when they misplaced the things they love. The way you place something precious down briefly, just to come right back and it be gone.

Disappearing from right under your nose.

In that occurrence, people usually scratch their head and tap an impatient foot muttering, "_I could have sworn I just..." _and then, "_now where could I have put-_" concluding with panic and disbelief "_But I just placed it down for a moment..._" He did, or so he thought because he knew for a _fact _that he placed Oz beneath him so he could watch the way his pretty green eyes closed peacefully, and feel his light breath hit his face as he hovered above him, and kissed his body to sleep.

Instead, he tried to focus on that shaky self talk, thinking "_well… he couldn't have gone too far..._"Right- because you don't misplace the things you love, you keep them safe, and watch them carefully.

But he didn't do that.

Gilbert would be okay though, right? Because Oz was across the road, probably hungry because Gilbert foolishly slept through breakfast and would now have to wait a while to bring the boy lunch.

Yes, Gilbert would be just fine after a hot bath, because maybe that could remedy that traumatizing feeling he had. Traumatizing because he knew that he placed Oz beneath him, but yet, he woke up to an empty bed...disoriented and alone; with a pillow in his arms instead of his lover's body.

But…with everything that had been happening, he wasn't sure if he could accept holding that imposturous pillow as easily anymore.

**XXX**

The morning dragged by. He was currently walking back from the dinning room with Billy not too far behind him. When they got to their room, Oz flopped down on his bed and grabbed his teddy bear, looking at it as he retreated into his busy thoughts. Even though he was relieved that he didn't get caught sneaking into the ministry, he was deeply considering the idea of leaving for good.

They truly weren't doing anything for him…and most of all, he missed Gilbert.

"Did you see, Oz? heheheh did you see? They took somebody out of the basement today…did you see?"

Oz didn't see anybody. He saw two men carrying a large box, as they emerged from a door that he had never seen used before, but…it was a box; nothing more.

"Billy…that wasn't a person," seriously, the boy had the weirdest imagination.

"Hehehe…You have a lot to learn about this place. Everyone knows that people who come out of the second floor come out in white sheets, and people who come out of the basement come out in boxes."

Oz shook his head in a disapproving way, "You're telling stories,"

"I'm not! Heheheh, I'm not telling stories. Two hundred and sixty two days ago the men dropped a box…and someone's arm was hanging out."

Oz swallowed hard. All of Billy's horror stories about the place had been correct so far, but Oz was having a hard time with this one, "If you know that then…why doesn't anyone runaway from here?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know…are you going to run away?"

Oz blinked, not really sure what to say.

**-::::::::-**

They sat in the afternoon sunlight watching brown birds camouflage into the trees as they perched on branches. Oz ate his lunch eagerly, and noticed that the silence that they were sitting in wasn't uncomfortable, but it also wasn't normal. Gilbert seemed a bit...lost. His eyes stared upward with thought, and his expression remained somewhat blank and empty. The raven's back was tense and hands frigidity as they unconsciously stroked the grass.

"What's on your mind, Gil?"

Gold eyes looked over at him, he shook his head, "…nothing...I'm just…nothing…" the man reached his hand over and held Oz's.

Oz gave the man's hand a small squeeze, "You're so quiet today. Like your mind is off floating somewhere. Are you feeling Ok?" Oz got up and placed his hand to the man's forehead. Though, he wasn't hot with fever.

The man's eyes dropped toward his lap, "um… I-"

"It's two thirty, Oz. It's time to come in," a feminine voice called as she yelled from the door of the Ministry. Oz was happy she didn't walk near them or she would have seen the paper bag that once had his lunch in it.

"You can finish telling me tonight. I'll sneak back over to the inn," the blond whispered promisingly as he smiled and got up.

Gilbert nodded and forced himself to let go of Oz's hand. Why was it so hard? He had been doing the same thing for the last few days, he considered the fact that he hadn't been anticipating staying at the Ministry any longer than they already had...but he knew it was more than that.

**-:::::::::-**

He shuffled into the room miserably, choosing to crash into the bed belly first instead of sitting next to the window. He wondered if he should just take a long nap and have that be the way he pasted the time until Oz was due to come over again. Yes, a nap would be great- only that he wasn't tired. And what was worst was that the smell of light pink peony flowers was imbedded in his bedding and making him feel dizzy with loss and lonesomeness.

Would they make love again when Oz came over? Would Gilbert spend tomorrow mourning over the loss of him the way he had been when he found the bed empty that morning, and the way he was at that moment? It was crazy. The way Oz's smell could drive him over two very different edges. Because nightly passion made the boy's smell radiate into his nose and tingle his skin, and when the sun was up it made his bones cringe with apprehension and nervous anticipation.

Was this the price he had to pay for connecting with the boy on that level, for invading his body? Every ounce of pleasure brought a three fold worth of pain when it was over and he was by himself. Another whiff of peony entered his nose through the blankets...and Gilbert – flipped over onto his back.

He looked over at the bed side table, eying the half bottle of whiskey that stared back at him.

And suddenly, the next ten hours… didn't seem as lonely anymore.

**XXX**

Oz got stared at that day. He knew it was because of the love bites on his neck, but he tried to ignore the looks he received from the attendants and brushed off the questions he collected from Father Dennis, when the man passed by him in the hall.

"What happened to your neck, Oz?"

"…I think a bug bit me."

"Are you sure it isn't...something else?" a raised brow followed the man's words.

"I'm sure."

"How old is your brother?" the man's eyes were hidden again…behind his glasses.

"Twenty six."

"He's not married?"

"Not yet, he was due to have a wedding but everything that's happened caused him to delay it."

"He delayed it so he could take care of you? Why aren't your parents doing that?"

Oz shifted as he stated his half lie, "They passed on many years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be difficult for your brother to take on such a responsibility...Has he been doing that for a longtime?" he ask, eying Oz's neck again.

The boy was uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, "Doing what?"

"..."

"..."

"Taking care of you."

"…Yes," Oz left it at that as he walked away from the man and back into his room.

**OOO**

As pleasure glazed eyes focused in on the confused heavens, she wondered if there was ever a day more beautiful than that. The gold sun was grinning; even though sky tears were falling on her soft face. Her skin was cold on the outside, but, the body on top of her, _inside_ of her, was sending hot loving passion through her veins. And the moment he began to thrust gently into her, she...swore she could hear the clouds laughing through their silent sobs.

At the time there were so many contradictions of every sort; but would she have it any other way?

While she thought back to earlier that day, all of it made her past troubles appear like angry ant hills that were easily overshadowed by the mountainous joy her heart was feeling. From morning to early afternoon they traveled hand in hand, enjoying the offerings of fresh baked foods, and unfamiliar faces in a tiny town that seemed to be built for those who only knew how to smile. Throughout that day, they taste tested treats, and ate strange looking foods from places that he promised he'd bring her to someday soon.

And of course, there was that pie eating contest that she watched him win effortlessly, putting to shame even the largest men with the hungriest looking stomachs. She cheered him on from the sidelines, proud and amazed that he didn't spill a drop of the desserts while all others who competed made a mess of themselves; even their wives turned a nose up at them when they walk back with defeated faces and inflated bellyaches.

And when he won the grand prize, they cheerfully crowned him the "King of Feast" and put a thin mint wreath on his head. He placed the gold metal around her neck, and she knew it was sparkling the same way her eyes were. As they continued to walk around she thumbed through the elegant handwritten cookbook that they had also given them. It had fancy yellow binding and she noticed two loose pieces of paper that were placed inside. They were certificates that said they could have two free dinners at the restaurant that hosted the contest.

But they didn't need those; they had plenty of money. Instead, they made a quick decision and inconspicuously handed them to a thin man who held out a tin cup while he sat against a dusty building; smiling sincerely at everyone even though his situation might render tears from another that was as poor as himself.

And after the street performers concluded with the comical play they put on with dancing puppets, and dramatic storytelling, she had a hard time standing up through her laughter when people were startled by the doll on her lover's shoulder; talking vividly and moving independent of strings, as Emily cynically cracked jokes about the dancing dolls in the play.

By one o' clock they were stopping back at the inn to put away everything, and then leave as quickly as they came so they could take a romantic walk to the outskirts of the town, following a main dirt path as they walked. The path fell between the edge of the woods and the edge of an open field.

So strange it was, it suddenly began to rain, and yet the sun was still out. There was no overt sadness in the sky, no dark clouds, even though some were pale fluffy gray it just made the sun look more beautiful. That's why they stopped in that clearing on the edge of the woods, taking cover from the sudden downpour.

And they laughed at it.

It was bad timing, a sure way to mess up a romantic walk. Or perhaps make it all the more better.

Because taking cover under those trees only led to their lips meeting fearlessly, hungrily; as he sat her down gently on top of a flat wide tree stump. There were buttercups growing around it like a yellow ring; as if the flowers choose to grow there just to tease the dead stump with their small but lively existences.

Their clothes quickly became wet with rain water; but it did not slow their warm breath, kissing lips, and thumping hearts.

The rain fell quick, heavy, and silent as it trickled down her white dress, trying it's best to wash away the persistent kisses that were being planted on the exposed portions of her body. Her thighs were coated in water making her dress cling to her skin. Although, the cool sensation of Break's wet clothes created an arousing friction between her legs as he leaned himself further between them, and...She knew then how much she truly wanted him.

Would there ever be another chance like that? To witness the most beautiful contradictions the world had to offer them. For example, life was growing around them, rain feeding the soil and nourishing the trees, but the wide tree stump that she sat upon was dead and lifeless, yet she rested atop it very sure that she hadn't ever felt more alive.

She wanted him.

She wanted him to take her right there under the loose shelter of the trees, on the edge of the woods, in the light rain, and under the smiling sun.

And when she pushed his white overcoat off his shoulders, and unbuttoned his purple shirt, he hastily broke away from her lips,"...bed...we need a bed," he said in a soft pant, white bangs dripping water onto her lap, "This is...extremely untraditional, even for me..."

That's the thing about traditions though...they're very forgettable. After so many times of people doing the same thing each event would begin to mash into each other and become unrecognizable from the last. She knew he had made love before; with whom, when, and how often she would never know. Regardless of the fact that she knew he loved her, she still didn't want to be another face lost in the sheets. She wanted her first time, and his first time _with her_… to be nothing like tradition.

Nothing forgettable.

"I want you...to take me, right here," she said against his lips.

He let out a quiet empty laugh and looked down, he almost looked shy. He allowed his hands to comfortingly flow down her wet outline, "A comfortable bed is better suited for-" he paused awkwardly, and cleared his throat. If there was a blush present she would have to look hard to find it, "I never envisioned deflowering you under conditions such as this," his statement concluded with a brief look around the secluded area and a slight frown upon his lips. Sun reflecting off of white hair like a water drenched aura.

She let her next actions speak for her.

She sneakily led hand his under her sopping short dress, a cold shiver went through her when he couldn't resist running his hands slowly over the circumference of her thighs. The sight of his knuckles moving under the translucent wet fabric as it hugged the hands he had on her legs; she watched them move upward before he pulled gently at the fabric that clung to her hips.

A hesitation arose and his fingers stopped moving, but the intense look of amethyst surety being cast into crimson question, made their lips rejoin in fiery agreement. Love locked tongues twirled rough as she lifted up a bit and let the under garment slip down her legs.

What replaced the fabric were his gentle fingers that caressed her softly, and fervently. He then pushed his first finger slowly inside of her, and she could barely kiss him. It was a feeling that she never felt, yet it felt so incredibility..._right_. He inserted it as far as it would reach, and moved it back and forth sensually; making her whine quietly into the kisses they shared. He added the next finger and her back arched against the air, making her lips fall away from his and her legs part more so that he could continue.

She continued to sit on top of the stump as he shuffled on his knees to get closer to her body; crushing the spite out of buttercups as his knees snapped their green spines against the wet grass. His black pants were most likely saturated with mud. But that didn't matter.

He began to brush against something deep inside of her, something that made her gasp sharply and braced her arms behind her as she leaned back in tight pleasure, watching his focused eye observe the sight of his hand moving under her dress. From her angle she couldn't see past the raised hem of the white fabric, but she could still catch glimpses of his wrist rotating every now and then.

When he felt her shudders becoming more sporadic and violent and his fingers moving in her easier than when he first began, he pulled the digits out of her. She bit her lip angrily at being halted and not allowed to climax but she knew what was about to happen.

She watched him undo the buttons on his pants so he could free his manhood; not bothering to take off any of his clothing. He moved quickly, already lifting up and mounting her, as she put her arms around his neck, allowing his waist to fit between her legs. The very tip of his length seemed to kiss her waiting entrance and a small bit of nervousness shook up her back while she waited. He kissed her neck, and sighed lightly before he closed his eyes and...

Suddenly, red liquid quickly turned into a deep crimson, as it slowly trickled down the old bark and absorb into the grass; the color of loss, mixing with the vibrancy of green life. And she whimpered; her nails not as hard on his back as they could have been because they were too soft from being wet.

Gently he scooped her up and gracefully maneuvered them to the ground, but not before laying out his overcoat and allowing her to lie on top of it; never once parting their interlocked bodies.

Their breath was rough, not loud enough to challenge the voices of the evening birds, but still audible. He waited, panting. There were so many contradictions…cold raindrops running over them both but heat ignited in all the right places and sparked all the right feelings.

When she looked up at him she swallowed hard, never knowing that it was possible for her insides to feel so very full. It hurt a little bit, but not like the agony that Sharon's books described. And when she was ready she nodded…he kissed her one more time before he pulled away and began to move his hips.

Glazed eyes focused in on the heavens, and she wondered if there was ever a day more beautiful than that. Sun grinning, sky tears falling... and she...swore she could hear the clouds laughing through their silent sobs.

**-:::::::::-  
**

Her muscles clenched mercilessly around his length. And he couldn't help but look down at her as he hovered there. Her eyes had closed contently. Brown bangs clinging to her forehead…beautiful.

He was very gentle with her, even though the faint sound of his knees sinking into the wet dirt forced his manhood to sink into her a bit deeper. He let out a light groan, unbuttoning the front of her dress so he could lovingly kiss up some of the flesh that was between her clothed breasts.

As his pace increased he heard her beginning to make sweet sounds that were getting louder. He realized that he was in fact hitting the spot in her body that he was looking for. His jaw clenched, because deep satisfaction was shooting through him. His mind didn't turn off though, even if he was highly captivated by the loveliness beneath him, and her sweet moans of pleasure.

Was there anything more beautiful to him? No. there wasn't. And he was glad for the one eye he had left so he could appreciate the delicate sight of her.

But…in the back of his mind there were thoughts; secrete thoughts that were trying to come to the forefront as he felt her tighten her legs around his waist. What if they had met under different circumstances, in a different time period maybe? Would he have been able to give her more, love her better?

And though he was grateful that he had her in the first place; honored to be the one sharing that beautiful moment with her even though he felt very unworthy. His emotions were still pounding in his chest with persistent vulnerability.

For the white haired man didn't have the chance to love many things in the skewed life he led, be he knew he loved her, deeply, and with unconditional completeness. Those feelings remained unchallenged by anything that his past could conjure up.

As his hands ran over her flat stomach, and his lips continued to kiss her neck, he became more aware of the small wish he had, one that he had not shared with anyone, ever. That maybe if things had happened differently, he could have led a normal life with her -with a home of their own, a child or two…or ten; no Pandora, no contracts, and no fear that his time on the earth was running out.

And maybe that's why he allowed himself to quickly and impulsively spill his seeds into her waiting depths, instead of withdrawing as other men would do in that situation. It was rebellious instincts taking over and trying to subconsciously test water that he knew may be impossible, or maybe not the "brightest idea."

However, how could he stop himself? She was so sweet laying there whimpering his name and tossing her head back in ecstasy as she climaxed with him. And when her bright purple eyes sprung open at the peak of her pleasure, they instantly darkened with a brief bout of worry. She leaned up and took his face in her hands noticing that his red eye was engulfed in a thoughtful sadness that she wasn't sure if she saw before. He was sure to hold her close and kiss her through the last waves of gratification, using that as his way to erase the traces that could have led her back to the truth behind his gaze.

He laid her back down, and smiled at her love filled eyes, hands running through long, long brown hair. It was then that he allowed his heart to give out three more aching beats secretly behind his chest, before he forced the feelings to hide even deeper behind this heart.

Yes, things could have been so different…he could have given her so much more, loved her better, and of course...been able to spoil her with that love so much longer….if only.

-:::::::-

After a few minutes the sky stopped crying along with the slowing of her heart. They had finally caught their breath. When she opened her eyes and looked back up into the sky, her breath caught somewhere between her chest and her throat.

It was the stupidest, dumbest, and most ridiculously beautiful thing; and there just so happened to be two of them. Those colors were so high up bent into arcs across the sky: red, yellow, blue, and violet. What an annoying cliché, but a blessed sight nonetheless.

She stared at them with grateful awe. When the white haired man noticed her peering into the heavens with wide eyes, he sat up and looked at them, he marveled silently, before he shook his head disappointedly.

"They don't compare…"

"To what…"

He closed his eyes and smiled, "…You."

She looked away and kicked some mud onto his lap, "You're so… unoriginal" she mumbled. Cheeks heating up at the thought that even though she looked like a complete wreck at the moment, he would dare suggest that she were more beautiful than the clean bows in the heavens.

He laughed at her shyness, snatching a conceited yellow flower from the ground and placed it in her hair, "Do you think they're meant for us?" he asked.

She tilled her head as she looked up, "If they are, then that one's yours" she giggled pointing at the very faded, scraggly arc that seemed like it was struggling to establish its colorful existence.

"So…so cruel..." he chuckled and leaned over, kissing her lips again. They were both happy that they didn't follow tradition that day...because if they did, they would have missed all of that; every natural contradiction and the colorful conclusion that seemed to paint itself into the sky.

Before either rainbow completely faded, they fixed themselves to the best of their ability, both of them covered in patches of mud and wet grass. He didn't hesitate to pick up her tired body like a bride, earning a gasp from her. But she let him carry her with no complain resting her damp disheveled hair against his chest.

She laughed in his arms as they walked away and he explained to her that…two more minutes sitting there would have tempted the earthworms into growing teeth and nibbling at her... and he couldn't risk having such a thing happen.

-:::::-

If a passerby would have glanced at that tree stump, they would have seen the light traces of red that had dyed a rough strip of the old bark a faded crimson color; giving a fresh flash of color to the dead thing. Maybe the snobbish flowers would envy that strip of color...if not for its likely permanency which would be there long after their delicate yellow petals were eaten by the autumn wind, then for the precious moment that brought it there in the first place.

**OOO**

Sharon sighed sadly as she held the phone to her ear, "Let me speak too aah…*hic* let me speaktoBreak..."

"He's not here today. He's out with Alice,"

"Whatdo yah mean he's not…there? He's supposedtoah be there."

"Um, he'll be back later this evening but-"

"But he said….he told me to call if there were_any_…thing, um…any situationsss..*hic*, any discrepancies_sss,_" she heard him say with a bit of a slurred lisp.

The strawberry blond shifted the phone to her other ear, "I'm sorry Gilbert, is there anything I can do?"

"You can't! Youcan't help 'cause…unless, do you know how to stop peoplefrommm…"

"From what?"

"*hic*Turning into pillows?"

Sharon shook her head, she knew she heard him right but it was so ridiculous, "…pardon me?"

"Oz…he, my _master_, he turned into a pillow in..*hic* the middle of the night…woke up wasn't there. Just a _pillow_."

Her heart felt sad for him, she didn't know what the man could have been going through but it must have made him really upset to cause him to be that nonsensical…and drunk.

"Gilbert, maybe you should rest."

"Don't tellme what to do_Sharon._ I'm tired, I'm really tired Sharon…I'm tired of Jack…I'm tired of pillows…I wantmy_master _…I'm tired Sharon *sniffle* I'm so tired…"

Her brow knitted when she thought she heard whimpering, "Are…you crying?"

"(sniff)yes..._no_..." with that…the line went dead. He was gone.

**XXX  
**

He...had turned into a beautiful blur. Figure loosely defined in the dim room, all of his colors merging: green, blond, cream, and hints of pink.

It was happening again...

That vigorous bouncing.

The sound of the bed frame hitting the wall, chipping the paint. Old wood post squeaking, scratching. Gold eyes-_weightless_. As they gently followed the motions: up, down...up...

Of course it felt good; he was sweating, wasn't he? Even the hands he had on those thin hips were sweating. And when those hips stopped bouncing, somehow, he could still feel the motion: down, up...down.

His heartbeat sped up with fear because suddenly the beautiful blur was gone. Wait, hold on - it was a false alarm. That beauty was still there because lips were pressed to his temple, and a pleasure shook voice was next to his cheek, in his ear...a sweet voice that was packaged in self consciousness. Why? _Oh,_ that's why...he was worried about the bouncing, and why it seemed to make gold eyes look empty.

"um...Is it good to you?" _It's good to me, Oz – _That's what he would have said if he could get his mouth to move. He would definitely say that to bring the confidence back into the boy's voice, because the bouncing was good...

But instead, gold eyes slowly and unconsciously floated up toward the ceiling, like lackluster soap bubbles being carried up easily...because they were weightless-with no destination. Gilbert licked his dry lips, tightened his hands on those hips for encouragement, and nodded his head.

There was a humming bird in his chest.

Yes, it was _good _to him. It _must _have felt good because the bouncing kept his erection hard, kept his pores sweating, kept his heart beating fast... too fast, maybe.

Were those hips still bouncing?

The only bad thing was that his eyes seemed to turn into bubbles. The kind that briefly got stuck to whatever they landed on, right before they...

That beauty on him was a blur; everything was a blur that night. From the time he had stop drinking long enough to regain his balance and open the door soberly, letting in that beautiful...

_Blurry-_was the type of kiss that they shared. Memorable only because of the way it turned his heart to stone with the thought of what would happen when it was over. Would he blink his eyes and Oz be gone again...misplaced? Would he wake up and scratch his head, ask himself... "_Now where could I have placed him?...I could have sworn..."_

And maybe that's why Oz decided to bounce on him that night, and Gilbert let him. Maybe both of them thought it would help bring the weight back into his gold eyes. Because that day, Oz had noticed that Gilbert seemed very...off.

Speaking of Oz, that beautiful blur was bouncing again. Slower...deeper: up, down...up. He knew Oz was bouncing, not because he could see it, no, of course he couldn't; his eyes were stuck to the ceiling. Gold bubbles that glossed over and wavered right before they realized they would– yes, there it was..._the pop._

It must have felt _really_ good, why else would his legs go numb? Or bubble eyes darken from the feeling of pleasure and fear. If it didn't, his toes wouldn't have curled the way they were curling. Oh, and his heartbeat, that too. It was like the wings of a humming bird...so fast and fluttery, that each beat could barely be counted as an individual occurrence. Each one meshed together like one long drawn out sound: _hummm mmm_

He was getting cold for some reason.

"Gil...Gil?" Something in him hated the fact that his eyes had popped and melted on the ceiling. If they were going to get stuck they should have got stuck on that beauty on top of him, even if he was a blur. He should have savored his image, because...he knew from the way it had been so far that after the bed stopped squeaking, when the bouncing stopped-it would only be a matter of time before he closed his eyes and then...

And just like burst bubbles, his eyes were leaking silently, wetness traveling down toward his ears; but not for long because soft hands were wiping away at his face.

"Stop it, Gil. What's wrong?...look at me..."

There was a hand over his chest, "Why is your heart so fast...?"

And his head was tilted down. What remained of his eyes was scraped from the ceiling. He could see a little, "Talk to me..."

He wanted to talk, but when his lips parted all that would come out was his breath that he didn't realize was so labored. The blur began to wear off and he could see clearer. Vibrant green was no longer merged with every other color. His mouth closed, begging to breathe through his nose again. Hard.

"I'm sorry..." he managed to choke out.

"You don't have to apologize, Gil. Just try to calm down..." Oz forced Gilbert to sit up so he could wrap his arms around the man and hold him close. He could feel Gilbert's harsh heart beat tapping against his skin as their chest pressed together. The man sounded as though he was struggling to get air into his lungs and wasn't able to return the embrace...mouth trying to get out apologies as much as possible.

When he realized that Gilbert's breath was still not slowing, he slipped of Gilbert's lap and stood next to the bed. He grabbed the man's white shirt, put it on and buttoned it, while ignoring the white fluid that guiltily trickled down the back of his thigh. He quickly went over to the cart in the corner and poured some water into a cup from the water pitcher. Then he took a small towel and poured some water on that as well, using another towel to wipe his leg clean.

He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge next to the man. Forcing Gilbert to sit up and holding the cup to his lips as Gilbert struggled to take deep gulps of it. He placed the wet towel around the back of the man's neck and put the cup on the side table after the raven finished drinking it down.

"Oz...I don't know what happened, I-..."

"shh.…it's alright. Were you drinking today?" he asked softly, without an ounce of scold or blame in his voice.

The man nodded.

_I couldn't even tell this time._ Oz thought to himself.

Gilbert's breathing was finally slowing down a bit, but all that did was give way to him shaking. Oz was trying to hide his worry, he had seen Gilbert freeze up and completely shut down in front of cats, he'd seen the man get emotional when he drank or when he was very _very_ sad...but this was new to Oz. The way Gilbert's heart had been beating, the way tears fell from his eyes, and the way his eyes displayed the deepest onset of fear, and loss that he had ever seen. As Oz rubbed his back as he heard the man speak.

"I...was afraid..."

"Of what?" Oz whispered watching Gilbert bury his face in his hands.

Even though his voice was quivering and muffled in his hands Oz heard his response, "...That you wouldn't be here when I wake up."

"..."Oz didn't know what to say to that, and even saying it caused the man's breathing to hitch again. Oz spoke gently to him and told him to lay back, bringing the towel onto the man's forehead and climbing back into bed with him. After a few patient minutes of holding his hand over the raven's heart and waiting for it to slow again, Oz spoke.

"You know what?"

"...hm?"

"I think I'm ready to leave the Ministry."

Gilbert looked over at him, expression hard to see in the dimness.

"I've been thinking about it, and you were right all along. They haven't really done anything useful, and...I don't think they'll be satisfied until I come up with some kind of sin that they can pin on me. I'm sorry, Gil. I didn't listen to you. I thought I was doing what was best...but-"

Gilbert pulled the boy into his arms, "It's not your fault Oz, I know why you decided to stay…it's me who shouldn't have forced you to come here."

"You didn't force me…what else were we supposed to do when things were getting bad?"

"Umh." Gilbert made a small noise of agreement.

"I think we need a break from all of this. Let's go on a _real_ vacation, just the two of us."

" ah..Really, Oz?" the raven said in whispery hopefulness.

"um hum...the first thing we'll do is spend a day in bed, just resting. We don't even have to go anywhere, sound good?" he was smiling.

The man nodded contently. A small sigh left his mouth at the thought of being able to do something that simple, normal, and fulfilling.

No rush.

**-:::::::-**

So that was it. And Oz had no idea that he caused that much damage.

It couldn't have been from the other morning could it? He thought he was doing the man a favor by letting him rest, he had no idea...no, wait- he was beginning to see the bigger picture.

It was true that every time they did anything intimate, anything remotely loving that there was always a sense of urgency after. And it was like that from the very first time they had a deep kiss. Oz remembered vividly how Miss Kate banged on the door, how they rushed from the "hunted house" right after Gilbert was through pleasuring him, and how that same night they repeated the act and Oz slipped from Gilbert's bed as soon as the morning light came through the window.

The worst occasion was most definitely when they made love the first time, and now that Oz really thought about it he literally forced Gilbert to go back to his brother...even when Gilbert clearly stated _before_ and _after_ they did anything that all he wanted was to be able to stay with Oz after they made love.

And still, the picture was even bigger than that. Gilbert...was his back bone. Helping Oz through all of the confusion, all of the emotional disturbances, collecting information to help Oz, and putting up with his middle personally, Miss Kate, Break….and now even Jack. On top of all that, he was always the first one to hear the worst news about Oz's state, be it from Break's mouth or someone else's.

Oz knew that Gilbert started drinking heavily to try and cope with everything - but shouldn't Oz have expected this? It was far over due. This panicked trembling state Gilbert was in, this fear. People can only bear so much before they have a meltdown.

Oz had not noticed that Gilbert was suffering so much when he arrived that night. They had gone through swift kisses and Oz mistook Gilbert shaky exploring hands for desire, not hands that were flowing over him with fear. He had also thought that the warmth from his body and the feeling of them connecting would relax Gilbert since the man seemed tenser than usual that day. But he was wrong, and making love only pushed the man over the edge.

Those gold eyes, changing from lost and lifeless to very round and full of fear, sweat slick body, shivering from pleasure and panic; those were the images that replayed in his mind as he watched Gilbert reluctantly fall asleep.

And Oz felt his eyes sting when he watched the man wake up every two to three hours, yellow eyes opening with distrust, making sure Oz's body had not been replaced with a pillow that he might have been hugging in his sleep.

**XXX**

What was he to do?

It was still very early. He yawned sleepily and sat up in bed, weighing his options. He could wake up the man and make sure Gilbert was aware that he was heading back to the Ministry, or, he could let the man sleep some more and wait patiently for him to wake up naturally as to not disturb the slumber he was in. It was a rough slumber, and it seemed that Gilbert didn't actually start having uninterrupted sleep until an hour ago.

Oz on the other hand, felt that he barely got fifteen minutes of sleep. He was too concerned about the man beside him and how restless the raven was.

-:::::::::-

Two hours later Oz woke up for the second time, heartbeat harsh with realization - he overslept. He sat up, reaching down and getting the pocket watch out of his pants pocket checking the time. Then he looked over at Gilbert, before the man's name could roll off his tongue, sleepy gold eyes fluttered in the sunlight of the room.

"What time is it?" the raven asked groggily.

"Ten minutes to seven. I have to hurry; they usually wake us up at seven fifteen."

Oz swung his legs over the bed preparing to hurry up and get dressed.

"Oz..."

"hm? What's wrong?" he said looking over his shoulder briefly then going back to stuffing his foot in his boot.

"Why can't we just leave now?"

Oz stopped for a moment, thinking of his teddy bear and his playing cards. Not to mention his clothes and other things, "...All the stuff you gave me is still at the Ministry. I want to have a chance to pack up everything."

Gilbert looked to the side, "I can buy you new things."

Oz smirked, and eyed Gilbert's ring finger sneakily, "Then I guess I can take that ring back and buy you a new ring."

Gilbert protected his ringed hand with his other hand, "Alright...I get it" he looked down at his hand "At least let me walk you over there."

Oz nodded happily and continued to get dressed. Gilbert got up too and threw on his slacks and button up shirt. They were done in a flash and were quickly leaving the inn, soon finding themselves behind a tree outside of the Ministry.

"Tonight at eleven have the carriage ready, I'll be outside waiting for you…kay?"

The raven nodded.

"Are you still coming at lunch time?"

"Should that even be a question?"

The blond laughed, "Just checking," he tilted his head, "Can I have a kiss goodbye?"

The man blushed lightly and took Oz's face into his hands, leaning down and kissing him, a bit deeper than the boy was probably expecting. When they broke apart Oz smiled shyly, knowing he still had seven minutes to spear.

**-::::::::-**

Gilbert couldn't wait. By the end of the day he and Oz could kiss Perretta goodbye and be on their merry way.

He stood on the inn porch and looked around the area a little bit. He was excited to finally pack up and leave, and he stood on the porch with new confidence, they would find Oz help, but they wouldn't rely on the Ministry to do it.

**-:::::::::-**

Oz was quickly rendered speechless as he entered his room. His last foot hit the floor as he climbed through and he was tempted to jump right back onto the grass outside. To his left he could see Billy; the boy was a giggling mess of tears. Literally, he would whimper and hiccup, face red, nose running, tears streaming, but, a nervous giggle would interrupt him as he looked at Oz with fear.

At the door stood Father Dennis, his hands were folded in the front; his eyebrow was raised on his thick forehead. Behind him stood two of the men Oz saw take away the man who attacked him.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell us, Oz?" Father Dennis asked.

"Like what?"

"Like where you've been."

"…"Oz instantly looked at Billy, wondering if the boy had told on him.

The man took a step forward, "A few good sources have told me you've been sneaking out...and an eye witness called me to let me know just what you've been doing across the road."

_Someone called him?_ "Let me explain."

"No. I've given you many chances to let me know what you've been hiding, and I also warned you there would be consequences if you couldn't tell me yourself."

Oz took a step back, his mind was racing with a thousand possibilities, but the biggest one was how he should get out of there. He didn't want to make it obvious that he was thinking of jumping out the window and running over to the inn.

"The type of sin you have is very weighty, so much so that it's indelible. Do you know what that means, Oz? It means there is no way to erase something of that capacity."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what sin you're talking about."

"That's the problem, the fact that you don't even see it as a sin is exactly why I don't regret this decision."

"Wait! They're not brothers! They're friends – _Best_ Friends!" Billy interjected. Emphasizing the word "best" as if that was really going to make a difference.

"Keep your mouth quiet," Father Dennis nearly hissed at the boy on the bed.

"I'm-I'm sorry Oz! They forced me to tell them, I had to or they'd send me upstairs,"

"Take Billy and put him in another room. I don't want that man looking through the window and trying to get answers out of him,"

"Yes, sir..."

The men began to crowd around the blond and all Oz could do was take more steps back, he quickly turned around and tried to get his first leg out the window...but he was snatched backward.

His frantic eyes looked out the window, fear rising in his heart as he struggled to stay close to the only way out. And for a split second there was hope.

"Gil! GIL!" he screamed the man's name as loud as his lungs would allow, but alas...the image of the raven haired man had disappeared into the door of the inn, replaced by the brief image of the red hair girl coming out and looking toward the window he was in. The shadowy smile on her face and the slamming of the windowpane was the last thing in front of his startled green eyes.

* * *

Damn...that's messed up.

Big Thanks for reading!

-Rage


	16. Freeze

**Warning: Umm...? Yeah. Suggestive/Violent Situations and other things too. **

Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts.

* * *

**XXXFreezeXXX**

It was Friday night. He said he wouldn't be late.

She waited eagerly in the sitting room for him; he was coming home early that night. He was only ten minutes off schedule, so she didn't mind. When he did arrive he was like a full blast of energy prancing through the door. Even though his eyes were tired, his smile was lively and awake. He took her hands, making her stand up so he could spin her around and watch the way her beautiful black dress twirled with her.

"Is it me, or are you getting more and more gorgeous by the day?" he asked once her feet were planted again.

Her cheeks tingled pink, "Stop playing around. Go upstairs and change or we'll be late,"

He chuckled softly, swiping his thumb against her cheek, "I'll be back here before that cute blush fades," he pecked her lips and left.

Thirty minutes passed after the white haired man said that. And Alice gave up at minute thirty one.

She walked up the stairs quietly; her elegant black evening gown made the floor giggle when the hem brushed against it. Her ribs felt constricted. And though she tried to write it off as the corset crushing in her chest she knew the vibe she was getting from the door down the hall was the reason.

She had a feeling she'd find him like that, but seeing it was a very different thing. His dress coat was half on. He had one shiny black dress shoe dangling from his foot, and the other foot was bare. One of his legs hung off the bed; both arms over his eyes. Emily lay sprawled next to his white gloves on the floor.

She moved over to him and took the lone shoe off of his foot and attempted to gently shift his whole body onto the bed. But he quickly moved his arms off of his face and opened his tired eye. He looked confused for a moment; then a bit of embarrassed surprise emerged in the red orb.

He stood up; trying to laugh it off.

"I must look ridiculous like this. Give me just a minute to finish up and then-"

When he looked at her she shook her head "no."

He put on a playful frown, "You no longer want to go on a date? Is it because I look like this?"

She looked at him seriously until his playful frown turned into a real one, "Not tonight..."she said, walking up to him. The brunette placed her hands on his chest and forced him backwards until they collapsed on the bed. She lay on top of him for a few seconds, gauging his exhaustion while running her fingertips over his soft lips. She kissed his mouth once before rolling off of him and onto her side of the bed. She sat on the edge, reaching her arm behind her back and unzipping the dress.

He watched her wiggled out of the sleek black material. Then take the pins out of her hair so it would fall freely, "There's still plenty of time to go to the opera..." he said softly, hoping she'd agree.

"We'll go another time," she held her long hair up with her forearm, and then cleared her throat to signal for him to help her with the corset. She heard him sigh deeply before his hands started on the laces.

"I wanted to go out with you. I barely got to spend any time with you this week," he said quietly, while lazily unlacing the material with one hand, enough for her to rip it off and toss it on the floor.

"Too bad. We're staying here tonight," she said firmly, not bothering to put on her night gown, "Turn that light out,"

The brunette got comfortable in bed, getting under the covers and turning onto her side. It took a minute or two, but he finally huffed in defeat and the oil lamp was turned off. An arm was around her waist. He whispered something about making it up to her. And he was asleep within minutes.

A week, it simply took a week and it was enough to burn him out – with good reason too.

For five days she'd hear him wake up at five in the morning, mumbling things about breakfast and paperwork. All the while he thought that she was still asleep and unable to hear him. Everyday she lie in bed for an hour and pretend to be asleep, trying to gather her sunken heart and get it to float up back into her chest, while she watch him prepare to leave her.

By five thirty she'd open one eye slightly and see him scurry back into the room, putting on his clothes, and organizing reports. He looked through the papers and talked to himself quietly, saying words she couldn't hear. She'd watch his reflection in the dresser mirror, observing his expression.

His crimson eye would spark with annoyance sometimes as he read things and put his lavender bowtie on at the same time. It was always at long moments like that when she realized how serious and business oriented he could become. Under his silly jokes, wavy smirks, and eccentric mannerism, was a cynical, thorough, analytical professional; one that didn't take bull. And he rejected sorry excuses if things weren't done to his precise standers.

At five forty-five he'd leave the room and come right back with a cart. It was time for breakfast... and goodbye.

A swift kiss, a fun few words and he left by six. He'd come back by twelve sometimes two in the morning.

The first day she had fallen asleep waiting for him to come home, and she damned herself for not hearing when he came in. Because by the time she woke up it was five in the morning... and he was mumbling to himself about breakfast.

On Tuesday night she forced her eyes to stay open by continuing to study the cook book that she had been reading for the last two days. She wanted to pick up the cooking skill, so she spent her days in the kitchen watching the servants as they made lunch and dinner, asking questions and secretly trying out some of the recipes in the book…so far they all came out horrid. She didn't give up though. Alice had no desire to remain a useless heap, thinking that she could take over the man's servant duties so he could focus on more important things.

That's why she read the book that night and hid it when she heard his footsteps. But when he entered the room...he stood at the foot of the bed and said, "Do you know what time it is?" it was a rhetorical question, one with no smile.

"I wanted to see you," she said simply.

He stared at her for a long while before he spoke, "Its late..."he remind her as he sat on the bed and took off his shoes.

"You make it sound like a crime to wait for you..."

"It will be a crime if you continue to do it..."

The next morning he made sure to tell her not to wait up for him, but she disobeyed. As a result...she had the privilege to watch him stand at the end of the bed again. His red eye was dark, stressed, weary...and something...something else.

"I told you not to wait up for me."

"Did you think I was going to listen?"

"You should have," his voice was low and serious. It made her skin crawl with curiosity.

She shuffled to the end of the bed and sat up on her knees so that she was almost at his height. She remembered this night clearly because he had tried to fool her; and pretend that he didn't want anything to do with her.

When she kissed his cheek he didn't return the gesture. Instead, he continued to stand there and watch her. Crimson eye dark and something...something else.

By the way he had been acting she wasn't expecting him to capture her lips. She wasn't expecting him to move her up the bed and loosely pin her there. And throughout all of his sporadic kisses he mumbled apologies, ones that she didn't understand. It was then that she began to recognize what that look in his eyes was…

The phone rang beside them and he made an agitated sound with his teeth then picked it up, hovering over her body all the while.

"Yes?…speaking...what is it?" all though he was on the phone his hands were still paying quiet a bit of attention to her; face serious and eyes focused on her hips as he pushed up her night gown until it bunched above her navel. "I-_no_, that's not what I asked for. I want the records in chronological order from the earliest case to the latest and-" his hands paused, "Two piles...yes that's right"

He started on her panties and quickly slipped them off "-I don't care how many there are get them in there by tomorrow," her legs were thrown over his shoulders, like wanted burdens on a strong back "If you can't handle the assignment then give it to someone else..."

She remembered hearing the phone slam down after that. And somewhere between that sound and the sound of her deep inhale was the feeling of his first quick thrust.

Yes, she recalled that night clearly because it was the night that her nails made his back bleed. It was the night that he was lodged into her so deeply that she thought he might just crack the surface of her soul. A night where his movements were rough but his kisses were soft. There were moments when he asked her to tell him to stop if it hurt, and through her wild pleasure she begged him not to.

And she finally understood why he told her to sleep instead of waiting up for him. He was afraid he'd be rough with her…and that she couldn't handle it. He was afraid that being deprived of seeing her everyday would cause him to unleash his desires in the wrong way. Because by that point the only way he could have her to himself was beneath the sheets…at forgotten hours of the night.

The next morning she did not pretend to be asleep. Instead, she sat up right after he lifted himself from the bed...and mumble something about breakfast. When he reached the bedroom door he looked back at her and noticed that she was sitting there awake.

There must have been something in her eyes, longing maybe...and something... something else.

Whatever it was, it made him walk back to the bed.

He was late for work that morning. And by the time he left...his back was bleeding.

**XXX**

It was Friday evening… and they were lost.

Another front door was shut in his face. It was the third door that closed on them that day. Yet, Gilbert continued to stand there, and stare at it. He unconsciously adjusted Oz on his back again, tightening his hands under the boy's weak thighs. It was frosty outside, fall wind blowing the summer warmth to a forgotten place on the earth. Contrary to that, the blond's body temperature was on a dangerous rise again; Gilbert knew that because it powerfully radiated into his back.

"Maybe the next house will help us," Oz's scratchy voice said in his ear.

Gilbert's jaw clenched; he hated the world, "There aren't anymore houses...there won't be another one for miles," he said under his breath.

"*cough, cough* you must be tired, you've been walking with me on your back all day." He felt the boy draw a triangular shape on his shoulder with his fingertips, "We should find a place to rest for the night. I'm feeling better so…*cough* I'll be able to start walking again by tomorrow."

He hated himself. That's why he gave a sarcastic laugh before he spoke, "You're feeling better, huh?"

"Umhm," the boy affirmed without hesitation, failing to suppress an oncoming shiver.

They were silent for a few moments.

"Oz..."

"Hm?"

"Do me a favor, and don't tell me stupid things anymore."

He felt the boy tense up, "What did I s-"

"Don't tell me you 'feel better' when you're running a fever."

"..." When the boy finally spoke his voice was meek, and he hid his warm face in the crook of the raven's neck, "ok...," he muttered apologetically.

One would have thought that Gilbert was annoyed with the blond on his back; fed up with him. But that wasn't the case.

Gilbert was purely at his wits end; running out of mental resources that would keep him from using the gun on his hip to cure the failure that had become him.

If it wasn't for the precious love that he carried on his back, and his will to protect that love, he would have remedied that feeling of failure five days ago. The very moment when he relearned what the world was made of. Rediscovered how much he was a part of it -and began to engage in the endless reciprocation of cruelly…selfishness. Each one leading back to the same hopeless position that caused him to toss those same qualities back into the world that made him.

A never-ending battle that he desperately needed to win…regardless of what it took.

**XXX – **_Five days before: Monday._

"I'll get straight to the point Mr. Nightray. I received an alarming phone call this morning. It seems that Oz's sin has finally been identified,"

The raven adjusted himself in the seat a few times. Not because he was nervous, but because he was preparing to hear whatever garbage the man was getting ready to tell him. His mind was no longer open to listening to what they had to say about Oz. As far as Gilbert was concerned he and Oz were already in transit…already traveling away from the odd place.

Thus, the man's next words would mean even less than they had before they decided to leave.

Earlier that day it did not take Gilbert long to finish packing. And when he walked outside at lunch time he was surprised to see a police carriage outside of the Ministry. He thought nothing of it. All he wanted to do is bring the boy his last lunch that he would have at that place. However, Oz had not been in the dinning room when he came to see the boy at 12:30. An attendant spotted his searching eyes and brought him to Father Dennis to "discuss things."

"However, before I start on that, I'd like you to be completely honest with me. Have you been having relations with him?"

Not a hint of surprise or shyness was in his gold eyes, "What does this have to do with anything?"

The older man sighed and made a triangle shape with his touching fingers as he leaned back in his chair, "Have you or haven't you?"

He didn't blush. He was too angry for that, "It's none of your business."

"Actually it is. You see, you've signed the contract that places Oz under the control of the Ministry, and-"

Gilbert huffed exasperatedly, "Ok. You know what..." his seat pushed back, eyes closed lightly as his middle and index fingers massaged his temples, "I've had just about enough of this place. Where is Oz? I'm taking him home right now,"

"You can't take him. The contract forbids it."

He opened his eyes unfazed, calm, "A piece of paper isn't going to stop me. It's meaningless."

"It's a binding agreement; you can be taken to the courts if you attempt to violate it."

"I'll take my chances in court, then," he stood up, intentions set on getting the boy and leaving that instant; their midnight "sneak away" plans be damned.

"You'd lose the case if we tell them the reason he's in the Ministry, and that you're very much a part of it."

His anger was rising, making him slam his hands down on the desk in front of the man, "Don't threaten me. You don't think I'll file a counter claim and expose this place for the sham that it is-"

"A sham?"

"Yes _a sham_. The contract stated that it would insure his safety. Then I noticed that his arm was wounded. The contract was already violated on your end, _not mine_. I have every right to bring him out of here."

"I see that you managed to misconstrue the safety clause even though it was extremely clear," the man brought a blank contract out of his desk, "It says the Ministry will only 'remove the impending hazard he or she is to _himself_ and _others__,'_ it didn't say anything about others inflicting harm onto him. That sir is unavoidable. And might I add that your signature grants us permission to release him only if _we _deem him fit to return back to society; and he isn't. You only have yourself to blame for that after allowing him to carry on a forbidden relationship with you-"

"Your policy is absurd, and so is your definition of what a sin is," the raven's fingers were curling.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. But, you lost your right over him the minute you signed your name. Now, I know this maybe difficult for you to accept but Oz will be a permanent client here and-" the man paused when a gun was pointed in his face.

"Bring me to him right _now_"

The man took a minute to consider it. He didn't seem as freighted as he should have, maybe he sensed that Gilbert wasn't really trying to kill him…just scare him a little.

Finally, he sighed and nodded, "Let me call an attendant and she'll bring you to him," the man reached across the desk and took a gold bell into his hand. He rang it a few times. Gilbert lowered the gun and looked back when the door opened. Standing there wasn't an attendant. It was two policemen.

Furious gold eyes looked back at Father Dennis, "What is this?"

"I knew you wouldn't act rational, so I took some precautions."

As he said this Gilbert was seized. Gun wrangled out of his hand as he struggled to free himself from their grip on him.

"Please remove this man from my property."

"No! -You don't understand-" he yelled at the officers.

"I'll consider allowing you back in once you accepted the terms and are able to hold a decent conversation without losing your temper. A night in a jail cell should teach you a thing or two about proper behavior. Take him away please."

"Jail? On what grounds! I haven't done anything-"

"You threatened him with a weapon, if we didn't come in who knows what you would have done," an officer said as they began to drag Gilbert out the door.

"This was a set up. You can't do this! You bastard... you tricked me!"

Those were his last words before he was thrown into a carriage and handcuffed; then brought into town to Perretta's local jail.

The world was cruel...selfish, and Gilbert was a product of it.

Some did not realize how cruel and selfish it was until they needed it to be merciful; or until they began to realize how much they embodied those qualities...and reflected them back into the world that made them.

That could be the reason why they laughed at him when they threw him down the stone stairs. All they were doing was exemplifying the world they came from.

Brutal.

Heartless.

Deaf...to his pleads and explanations. They threw him in an empty cell and told him to behave until morning.

He didn't.

He couldn't.

For the first three hours steel bars were shook in angry hands. His tongue spat swears. The cold stone walls were kicked and cursed at. His legs paced; balled fist sweating. It didn't hurt when he punched the wall, once, twice...three times. Delirium seemed to set in with the darkness. Eleven at night turned to one in the morning. _What had they done to the boy?_ By three a.m. raven tresses tossed against the wall; hat on the floor, sleepless, restless. _Where is Oz?_ At five in the morning, yelling rose from his cell with the pace of the rising sun.

No one came. No one cared...the world was cruel.

Ten o'clock- silence - and sighs that led to hopeless impatience. Pacing. Twelve in the afternoon turned into two in the early evening. The sound of keys came down the stairs. Gilbert scurried to the cell bars.

"Don't let us hear you've been sneaking around the Ministry..." the cell was opened and they gave him back his gun. He snatched it and walked up the jail stairs. He opened the revolver.

They took his bullets.

**-::::::::-**

A half a mile later he walked onto that street. The Ministry stared back at him but he resisted his instincts and thought logically. He went to the side of the massive stone building... and ripped the expensive phone line out; then pulled it apart in his hands. He walked over to the inn, and did the same thing. It would cost both businesses a lot of money to replace the connection; but that was none of his concern.

His next plan was to get the carriage ready, then load his stuff onto it. So he walked to the stable in back of the inn. What he saw was enough to keep him dumbfounded for months; but he didn't have months to spare. So he took in the sight of the slaughtered horses, massive bodies laying sideways, dried blood on the ground, and foam and flies around their mouths. He allowed that sight to move his feet through the back door of the inn. He spotted Ann drying dishes.

"You killed them."

"Killed who...?" she continued to dry a plate never looking at him. The corner of her lip was twitching upward.

The plate went crashing to the floor when he suddenly pushed her against the wall and held her there.

"Don't play dumb! You killed the horses."

"I did no such thing. The Ministry probably-"

"The Ministry _wants_ me to leave so they can keep him. They wouldn't try to keep me here! And there's foam around their mouths. How many days have you left them without water!"

He shook her when she refused to answer.

"Let go of her," Gilbert looked back and saw the inn owner standing there, "I think it's time for you to leave. You certainly out warmed your welcome here."

"This place is hardly 'warm'...you're both out of your mind."

Reluctantly, Gilbert let her go. He pushed past the owner and hurried up the stairs to go gather his things. He supposed that after he got Oz, they could walk into town and try to buy a new horse. Also meaning that all he really needed to take with him was money. The rest of his stuff was useless and replaceable.

When he got into his room he noticed that some of his things had been moved. He went to his suitcase and grabbed the small bag that he had kept his money in.

It was empty.

He felt a violent surge of heat run through him. His forehead was beginning to sweat as his eyes scanned the room.

There was a sense of placid stillness before the chaos, before the panic. A moment when everything was quiet, save for the afternoon birds outside and the wind in the trees. It seemed to slow time- right before Gilbert sprinted into action and turned the bedroom upside down.

Shaking hands ripped the blankets from the bed. Head snapping to look at all corners of the room. He threw the clothes out of his suitcase; emptied it until there was nothing. Swiped his hurried fingers in all of his clothes pockets...all he found was lint.

He stood in the middle of the room, everything seemed to spin. There were a few unsure moments when the sound of his heartbeat was loud in his ears yet drowned out like he was under water. Panic sweat dripped from his chin.

They took his money...all of it.

Gilbert inhaled shakily feeling the heat continue to rise in his body from adrenalin and disbelief. The sweat was turning cold and damp making him feel nauseous. He found his bullets and loaded his gun again, stuffing the small box of remaining bullets in his pocket.

He spotted his silver flask on the floor. He picked it up and downed the last few sips to help him calm down. His blood was itching for a few more sips; something strong to keep his upper lip stiff. Because even with the realization of how involved the inn was with the current mishaps, there was no way he could prove it…but he knew. That's when he sensed a presence at the door.

"I hope you're planning to pay for the damage you caused. You destroyed this room."

The room was hardly damaged or destroyed, disorganized maybe…but not destroyed. Not yet at least.

Gilbert looked over at the man, "…pay?" he mumbled inquisitively. Something in him seemed to disengage and turn his eyes void as he looked down at the flask; it felt heavy and cold in his palm. Suddenly, there was a horrified gasp at the door after the mirror on the other side of the room shattered; metal flask breaking it into a thousand pieces. Gilbert calmly moved to the next target. His face held no emotion as his hand calmly grabbed the oil lamp and bashed it through the window glass.

The inn owner looked caught between wanting to run up and stop him and being paralyzed with wide eyes as he watched the heavy bookcase crash to the floor; noise making his body jump back on instinct.

The tea cart in the corner was flipped over easily before Gilbert numbly walked past the man, "You can pay for the damage with the money you stole from me" and with that…he was gone; leaving the man to stand in the doorway with an immobile body and a speechless mouth.

**-::::::::-**

Gilbert climbed into Oz's window expecting to see the boy or Billy, but neither was there. So Gilbert made swift movements. He cracked the bedroom door open and looked both ways down the hall.

Instead of going down the hall he chose to wait in the room behind the wall. His sweaty hand held the gun upward next to his face so that he'd be ready to shoot if necessary. He was waiting for the sound of soft footsteps to break through the weird noises that seemed to come from every direction.

After a few minutes, the soft sound of heels could be heard, and Gilbert waited patiently for them to come closer before he peeked in the crevice of the door. It was a woman; an attendant...but it wasn't sister Levinnya.

He darted out and grabbed her, holding his hand over her mouth and bringing her into the room silently.

He spoke into her ear sharply, "_The hell is he?"_ she struggled in his arms, whimpering. "_Shut up. _Make another noise and I'll kill you. Do you understand?" he said under his breath.

She nodded franticly, tears slipping down between her lips and the hand he had clamped over her mouth.

"Don't scream" he warned, hand slipping away a little, "Where is he?"

"Who?" she whimpered.

"_Oz,_" his lips fired back, "the blond that was in here."

"...Th-the basement."

"Bring me to him."

He put his hand over her mouth again and brought them closer to the door making sure no one was in the hall. "Which way?" she closed her eyes tightly, as if she was mentally and physically degenerating just from being held. Then she pointed straight ahead. They started walking, Gilbert forcing her to keep moving even though she was captured.

A hostage.

He opened the basement door and forced her down the stairs. A stench hit his nose, blood...and sickness. He held his breath; forcing his bones not to freeze in fear of what he'd see when he reached the bottom. It was cold down there, damp and dimly lit. When they made it to the last step he dragged her over to a wall and made her sit there as he looked around.

He couldn't understand it, couldn't begin to wrap his mind around the sights he saw. Five people coughing, naked, heads twisting, groans.

Chained.

Each one was in a different device. One was swung upside down against the wall, blood pouring from his mouth. Another stretched atop of a table made of sharp nails. One stuffed in a tall metal box...that one was dead it seemed. Another, sitting in a chair with his arms and legs weighed down by black cannon shaped objects...making black and blue dislocated arms hang from his sides, and an exhausted head hang low.

And at the side of the room, in a dark corner...was the last person. Gilbert spotted the back of blond hair and his naked body. He was kneeling against the wall, facing it. His arms held up by metal cuffs that pinned them against the cold brick and gave his delicate wrist no choice but to get cut on the spikes that were deliberately sticking out between the cement.

His knees, bled. Positioned on top of sharp small rocks that had fermented in the stone floor, so that whoever kneeled there would feel them jab at the thin skin on their knees and slice them. He...couldn't even try to get up to give his knees a rest, because his skinny ankles were caught in floor clamps that kept him from standing.

Yes…the world was cruel; undoubtedly.

"Oz..."

He got no response from him.

He took a few steps toward him; the anger in his body was so intense that he felt his emotions shutting off. And when he heard a sound behind him...his gun was directed back on his hostage. She was trying to escape.

"Get over here."

He snatched her arm and dragged her toward his lover, "Give me the key."

"I...I don't have it."

"Where is it?" She didn't answer him quickly enough "Where's the damn key!" he slammed his fist against the wall next to her head.

"Father Dennis, he has it. I swear...I swear," she closed her teary eyes, voice breaking into a sob that made her back slide down against the wall.

He let her collapse there in a heap of fear. He turned his attention to the unresponsive boy and the old and new blood that he saw pooled around his knees and dried blood that had ran down his arms.

Gilbert took off his jacket, mind focused and numb. He had to be numb; because if his emotions kicked in too much he would have sat there and broken down.

He folded his jacket and lifted the boy gently, sliding his jacket underneath Oz's knees to cushion them, he looked around and quickly grabbed the bottom of the woman's dress and ripped it, making her gasp in surprise and embarrassment. He tore the material and used it to wrap around the boy's wrist.

Oz's body was warm with fever. He patted the boy's head soothingly and told him he'd get him out before running up the stairs and out into the hall.

Gilbert charged forward, pushing past attendants and "clients" that were in the hall. He even saw Billy watching him with wonderment, but he paid the boy no mind. When he reached Father Dennis office he barged in, spotting the man sitting there in his chair. The man looked up and...A shot rang through the air.

"_GAHhaaaa_!" the bullet struck him in his left shoulder...not close enough to kill him but enough to immobilize the limb and make him fall from his seat.

Gilbert walked over and stood next to his head, gun pointed down at his balding hair, "Give me the key."

"...in the draw under the book," his pained voice said from the floor. Gilbert went over to the draw and found the key. There was a scream at the door. Sister Levinnya's hands were over her mouth as she looked at the bleeding man.

"Sister hurry! Call the police!" She nodded and ran down the hall. Gilbert could have laughed at the man's request. He could have... but he didn't.

He walked over the man's body and toward the door.

"You won't get away with this...we know who you are, we'll find you."

The man should have never spoke because that statement made Gilbert stop. He walked back into the room and opened the draws, searching through papers until he found his contract and Oz's file. He took both things and stuffed them in his pocket. He pointed the gun down, and before the man could get out a word of plead he sent another bullet into the man.

His large body stopped moving.

His actions were automatic, mind and heart frozen as he moved through the place. When he reached the basement the men who once took Oz out of his arms were waiting there for him. Before they could capture him he shot one in the leg and the other in the side. After that, they were no longer a problem as they rolled on the floor in pain.

The female attendants posed no threat to him; they were afraid and stayed out of his way. Tears fell from their eyes as he ascended the stairs with Oz wrapped in his coat. This time, he didn't notice Billy watching, nor did he see that the boy was not laughing for once. He didn't hear the sisters yelling about the phone being broken, or how Father Dennis was dead.

He opened the front door and walked out. The sun was bright but the air was chilly. And Gilbert knew that something in him died sometime between finding Oz and carrying his bleeding body down that road.

He never looked back when the bell from the Ministry range loudly behind him, attempt to alert all of Perretta of their "escape."

**-::::::::-**

The kind of life that he led made him familiar with the ways of strife, struggle, and suffering. And the determination that came with pushing through them. Regardless of his "noble status" he had spent more than ten years doing un-noble things to obtain the outcomes he wanted...needed. Being a human weapon and a pawn taught him how to snatch triumph; since the kind of victories he achieved, he had to sneak it off silver platters, and take secret sips off silver spoons.

"I can't take patients without a down payment. This city's fallen on hard times. I can't see anyone for free."

But there were always things that couldn't be obtained if they were not given, he couldn't steal kindness...for it wasn't something in abundance in a world like that; the world he knew all too well.

"I'll triple the payment; you'll receive the money as soon as I can send it. All you have to do is see him for ten minutes," he held out the limp blond in his arms, pleading, "Please. He has a fever and -"

"I have other patients waiting."

He held back his next words because they would have bounced back and hit his face after the door was closed. Once again panic pour into him, as a dark reality shiver trickled down his back. He had a sick boy in his arms; one who was passed out, bleeding, and nude- save for the black overcoat that he had wrapped around his delicate body.

His jaw tightened as he walked further down a shadowy side street so he wouldn't be spotted holding Oz against him, and wouldn't be noticed if the police happened to be looking for him; someone would have surly alerted them by now.

His eyes were shaded by his black bangs. Gilbert's head fell back against the wall; looking at the powder blue sky. His knees were going weak with pre-defeat, arms shaking as they held Oz close...ribs feeling sunk in like heavy bricks in wet cement.

He looked down, feeling acid flowing from his heart when he felt the blond stir in his arms. It was enough to force the raven's feet to move…force his knees not to give out beneath him. He walked down that side alley, with a destination that was unknown to him.

A feeling of destitute rested in his mind. The raven was penniless, shelter-less, and had no means of transportation besides his feet. And they were as far away from home as they could possibly be.

Stuck in a city that was cruel to them.

**-:::::::- **

The farther he walked the more distance was made from the congestion of the inner town. The houses were getting further apart...and he spotted and old farm. He secretly walked onto the land, seeing no one there expect some chickens in a pen, the main house, and barn.

He snuck into the barn seeing two horses; a brown one and a gray one. The beast paid him no mind as he made his way to the back of the wooden structure. The raven laid the blond on a hay stack, and opened the overcoat he had around him. It was the first time he could really look Oz over without having to worry about people seeing him.

The boy's lips were cracked, dried tear steaks planted between the dirt on his face. When Gilbert looked at Oz's wrist there were swollen cuts and signs of infection. And his damaged knees were no different, bloody, with excessive puncture wounds that were struggling to heal. He was warm with a mild fever, and signs of exhaustion showed itself in the formation of dark black circles under his eyes; most likely caused from being forced to stay awake while he was strapped against the wall and left there.

"Oz, can you hear me?" after a few long moments the boy moved his head a little, trying to show that he was listening. He forced his eyes open, and when he did Gilbert felt like he was staring into green fog. Gilbert's heart seemed to slice in half at the sigh.

"I have to leave you here for a few minutes."

Oz simply looked at him hazily, no nod, too weak to speak, mind too exhausted to try; his eyes slid close again.

He covered him with his coat, and got up, trying not to waste time. He looked around the barn and spotted an old potato sack. He grabbed it and walked swiftly to the house. He looked in one of the windows, and saw that there was no one in the kitchen.

The kitchen door was open and Gilbert walked in. He silently filled the sack with only the things he would need: Two bowls, two spoons, two pots…

There was a noise in the doorway, Gilbert looked over and saw a little girl. She must have been at lease five as she fearlessly watched him with her doll in her arms. She didn't speak; just watched. It made Gilbert uncomfortable to have the eyes of innocence watching him take things out of desperation.

He asked her if her parents were home, and the little girl shook her head, squeezing her doll to her chest, "Only Grandpa. He's sleeping" she said, pointing upward to an unknown room on the second floor of the house.

Gilbert walked passed her and searched for the master bedroom. When he found it he opened the draws and grabbed some of the father's clothes: two thick sweaters and two pairs of loose slacks. They would be far too big for Oz but they would have to suffice. He walked into the washroom, grabbing the half empty jar of ointment, a bar of white soap that was on the sink, and some bandages...there weren't many. And before he left he grabbed a wooden cup off the counter and filled it with water before he left.

The little girl followed him to the barn; but he didn't have time to bother telling her not to. He lifted Oz and placed the cup to his lips. The blond struggled to drink some, but he got a few sips down. Then Gilbert used the remaining water to do a quick rinse of the boy's wrist and knees before he wrapped them.

He didn't hesitate to dress Oz in the clothes he took; rolling the pants up from the bottom so they wouldn't catch on anything, and down from the top so they wouldn't keep slipping off of him. He opened the barn doors before he took the horse reigns off the wall and put them on the gray horse. He lifted Oz, the potato sack, and himself onto the beast – positioning Oz sideways so the blond could rest against him.

He looked at the little girl one last time before he set off. If anything...he would get them out of Perretta before he did anything else.

**XXX**

It was funny, the things people resorted to when they were desperate; the things they do to fight for survival. To think that he was reduced to petty pick pocketing, a noble like himself who now had no choice but to take from those who barely had any money to begin with.

He stole loose coins in the shallow coat pockets of working men, just so he could gather enough to feed the ill lover he had temporarily hid away with the horse in a shed near by. He also didn't hesitate to pawn off his gold ear clip. Although… it was so lightweight that he barely profited from it.

He had a straight face when he stole two thick blankets and three sheets off of someone's clothes line. And he didn't feel anything when he stole the long rope that the fabric was hanging on.

The pots he took from the farm in Perretta were later used to cook a turkey broth with; ingredients bought with the spare change he stole from passerby throughout the evening.

He bought cheap simple food; food that was filling and healing even if it wasn't the best quality. It was food that served several purposes: a wild turkey leg, garlic (to help combat illness), bead (to bulk up the meal and generate energy), honey (for taste and topical application to wounds) a jar of pickled eggs, carrots (for health and to feed the horse), and a bag of dried oats- for breakfast.

Everything he purchased had to be carefully decided on. For example, as much as he wanted to have Oz rest in a warm bed, the cost for one night in a typical inn (that didn't include meals) would be as much as two days worth of food. And though he considered stealing from more people, it didn't make sense to do that and stay at the "scene of the crime."

He didn't like the idea of staying in one spot for too long, but he at least wanted to give Oz few days to heal before he placed the boy on the horse and traveled a long bumpy journey back home. If he had a carriage it would have been different since Oz would be comfortable within it…but he just had the horse.

Gilbert noticed that the town has a stream. And when he retrieved Oz and the horse from the shed, he followed that stream and brought them to the inner edge of the woods. He used a few of the sheets and the clothes line to make a tent; anchoring the sides with heavy rocks. Gilbert allowed Oz to rest in the blanket as he removed twigs and stones from the "floor" of the tent and secured it to the best of his ability. After that, he collected water from the stream, built two fires and boiled the water.

It seemed that the only time he could feel anything was when he laid eyes on the boy. His heart bled in his chest like rancid acid swirling through his veins and eating away at his flesh from the inside out. Every time his eyes flicked over Oz's closed eyes, or cleaned out the fleshy cuts on the boy's body that wretched acid seemed to burn him. He hated watching Oz wince when he reopened improperly healing cuts to drain out the infected fluid.

Gilbert forced himself to concentrate, pouring boiling hot water over the soap to sterilize it before he used it with the warm water. He ripped off a piece of material from an unused sheet to gently scrub away all the blood and dirt.

The raven thoroughly washed every inch of the boy, not wanting him to get sicker from being exposed to the elements. Then he applied thin coats of ointment and mixed it with honey before he used the last of the bandages to securely wrap his wrist and knees.

When he was done, he redressed him and sent a loose piece of twine through the pant loops and tied them together (to keep the pants from falling off of him). He brought the blankets along with Oz into the tent. He fixed the covers and rolled up the last sheet to use as a makeshift pillow before he brought the boy more water and encouraged him to drink.

By the time he exited the flaps of the tent, Oz was once again drifting off to sleep. He felt bad that by the time he was done making the broth he'd have to wake the blond up again. But it couldn't be helped. The sun was already mostly set.

He took out his matches and lit his last cigarette along with the firewood under the pots. He took the contract and the papers they were keeping on Oz out of his pocket. A lazy inhale of smoke and a glance over of the papers led him to tossing them into the fire. Hollow gold eyes narrowed as they watch the flames burn away his signature; mind trying not to think too hard about how cold the night was likely to be.

**-:::::::-**

That night the air was autumn crisp and he bundle them both in the blankets; Oz's fever stricken forehead pressed under Gilbert's chin as they held one another to keep in the heat. The boy slept deeply though, only restless when he thought his body was over heating.

Gilbert's thoughts races as the night progressed.

He let down his master, his lover...his everything.

There was no sense of failure that was more astounding to him than how he was feeling.

So when gold eyes finally closed only pain entered his mind and regretful thoughts plagued him in his lucid dreams. …because if he had known that the cost of being able to hold the boy against him past the early morning hours was going to be holding him in a state like that…then he supposed he would rather be holding a pillow, if it meant Oz was healthy and pain free.

**XXX**

In the morning, Gilbert gathered water at the stream and boiled two pots of hot water; one for cooking and the other for washing. As the washing pot was cooling down he carried the blond to a near by tree and untied his pants before he turned his back and let him go to the bathroom.

When he brought him back to the tent he was careful to check on the wounds again to make sure they were attempting to heal; some were, while others still remained bright red and swollen. He cleaned the red ones out again and put more ointment on them.

He used the remaining water for himself, going a little way away to wash up.

He fixed their tent and made it as comfortable as he could; shaking out the blankets of dirt and fallen leaves, before he adjusted Oz again. Gilbert made them a breakfast of cooked oats with honey, pickled eggs, and bread. The raven only ate a small portion of the meal; avid on making sure he spoon feed Oz the majority of the food that was available.

He fed the horse some leftover carrots and led it to the small stream so it could drink before he tied it up again. He rinsed the bowl and the pots, then put them in the sack.

He crawled back into the tent and fixed the last sheet (that he used as a pillow) to support the boy's head. As he adjusted it he noticed that Oz was watching him; green eyes foggy and hazed. Gilbert felt his heart starting to bleed again, so he tried not to focus on the stare.

He wondered what the blond was thinking, if he was mad at Gilbert for not finding him before the Ministry put him in the basement. Or if he was angry about not knowing why they were forced to sleep outside, and where the carriage was. The raven wondered all of these things until-

"They stole our money?"

The words startled him because it was the first time that he heard he boy really say anything.

Gilbert nodded.

"And the horses…?"Oz asked.

"Dead," he whispered back.

Gilbert's reaction was sadly twisted because it meant that he had grown accustom to not hearing his sweet voice…accustom to the silence.

"I'll replace it..."

"Replace what?" Gilbert asked; baffled as to what the boy was talking about. Then Oz reached up and touched the shell of his ear. Gilbert finally remembered what used to be there…he had forgotten all about the ear clip.

"It didn't mean anything to me…why would you even worry about that?"

"Because you sold it for my sake..."

The raven sighed, _I would do anything for your sake…_ he thought, using his fingers to undo a loose knot that was in Oz's blond hair_, _"Stop thinking about nonsense. Get some sleep."

Oz nodded but still took Gilbert's hand and played with the gold ring that was there.

"…Tell me what happened. What did they do to you?"

Gilbert searched those foggy eyes before he shook his head, "They didn't do anything...It was my fault I found you so late."

Oz gave a sad weak smile and look to the side, "You're always so hard on yourself…you even blame yourself for their wrong doings." After a moment the faint smile drop into a despaired expression, "Father Dennis…He told me they put you in prison. And that no sane man would ever risk going back for my sake."

"Then I must not be sane…" he said, letting a small smile wash over his lips as he caressed the boy's warm cheek.

"When I was down there...do you know what hurt the most, Gil?" he let his eyes fall back into Gilbert's stare "…knowing that they locked you up somewhere…and that there was nothing I could do about it."

More acid was pouring onto his ribs, especially when Oz spoke again, "That's why I'm so glad that…they didn't hurt you…because I was afraid I'd never see you again." His chest burned as he leaned down and kissed the blond's lips, whispering to him about how sweet he was, and that he should have known that he would come for him no matter what; because he would have done anything to get him back.

When he pulled away from him, he watched green fog disappear behind closed lids and continued to hold his hand as he drifted back to sleep.

Gilbert looked down at their clasped hands, gold ring twinkling between their interlocked fingers. Oz was wrong…they did hurt Gilbert. They hurt him when they took him away from the boy. They hurt him when they unleashed cruelty onto his lover. They hurt him by placing him into that situation; one where he couldn't take care of the boy the way he needed to.

…They hurt him by reminding him that he was a product of the world.

**XXX**

The next day Gilbert gave himself a time limit of one hour to get some more money and food. He didn't like leaving Oz alone in the woods for any amount of time; the thought made his stomach twist with nervousness. There were so many risk involved in leaving him alone. He feared that someone would come by and spot the tent; causing trouble. Or that Oz's condition would progress spontaneously; since the boy was already developing a bad cough.

However, the need to replenish the food and supplies willed him to temporally leave the boy's side. After all, he was useless to Oz without the proper things he needed to care for him.

After he arrived in the town he wasted no time slyly taking a coin purse out of someone's pocket. He walked to a hidden space behind a building and counted how much he got, it wasn't a lot…but he knew how to make things stretch. He even tried to see if there was a doctor willing to see a sick person for free, but there wasn't. And because the town was small and poor, no one had a phone for him to use so he could call Oscar; yet another disappointment, another let down.

"What can I get you?"

Gilbert looked over the options behind the counter, "One clove of garlic, two potatoes, four apples, and a head of cabbage, please."

The man wasn't swift as he hobbled on his cane and went to the various shelves behind the counter to get the goods. The man bagged the food, but didn't put it on the counter until Gilbert gave him the money. The man looked at the money in his hand and moved the bag farther away from the raven's reach.

"hm, you're a bit short on the change..."

He wasn't "short" he knew he wasn't; he barely bought anything. Besides, he didn't have anymore money to give, "By how much?" he asked despite himself.

"Well, let's see here..."the man took his time leaning himself against the counter and made a loud slurping sound as he licked his brown teeth. He opened his thick sweaty fingers and counted the money in his palm, "there's quite a bit missing..,"

The man's blue eyes flicker to his gold ones, before they floated down and landed on Gilbert's left ring finger.

"If you really need the food, I can let you exchange that ring for some cash," the man's teeth were crocked; he must have licked them too much.

"How much will it be worth?" Gilbert asked; the old man smiled at that question. Gilbert knew he'd smile, because he knew the world.

The man smirked and closed his palm around the money, "Let me get the weighing scale and we can negotiate."

The raven nodded obediently, before he looked down at his ring.

Yes...the world was selfish. But Gilbert was also a product of that world – the old man must have forgotten that.

He moved slowly with his cane, body oddly misshaped. A pudgy old man he was. But he was also a foolish old man; because he left the food on the counter. And when he returned, there was no Gilbert, no food...and no goddamn gold ring.

**-::::::::-**

When he came back that day, the boy was missing from the tent. The only indication that he was still in the area was the disturbed dirt that looked like someone had dragged something away. He followed that trail, but Oz's frantic voice stopped him.

"Don't...don't come near me."

"Oz? Why-"

"I...just don't," he nearly pleaded.

"..."

Gilbert ignored Oz's request and walked over anyway. He found Oz there lying behind a tree on the ground sweating heavily -a wet spot on his pants and on the ground beneath him.

Gilbert realized that he had knotted the makeshift ties on his pants too tight in attempts keep them from falling down.

When he noticed Gilbert, he struggled to curl into a ball in pull his sweater down; trying to hide himself. The deep embarrassment made his green eyes wide and unable to meet gentle gold ones. He looked rattled and uneasy "I couldn't..." he swallowed, voice quivery"...I couldn't undo the knots in time,"

Gilbert walked over and Oz backed away from him.

The raven felt his acidic heart spilling.

Gilbert didn't know how he managed to do it, but he had finally talked the boy out of trying to wash his own clothes; since Oz was insistent on doing it himself.

But the boy gave in with calm persuasion and repeated reassurance that he had no reason to be embarrassed. But even with all of that the blond looked mortified when Gilbert poured the warm water over his skin and washed him off with the soap.

Oz shouldn't have had to feel that way. Ever. But that's what it had come down to…the type of daily struggle it was.

The only sense of relief came when he was able to dress him again, and put him back in the tent to rest. As Gilbert sat outside and cooked the super, he tried to shake off the image of unnecessary humiliation in the boy's foggy green eyes.

It was hunting, it was sad…it wasn't supposed to be that way.

**-:::::::-**

That night, it was so dark that even the moon dared not show its face. Gilbert stayed up tending to his restless master in the darkness; since his fever spiked and wouldn't come down. In the middle of putting a damp cloth on his forehead he heard something outside-voices.

Gilbert could hardly see within the tent. But when he heard the boy mumble his name questioningly he gently put his index finger to the boy's lips to keep him quiet. His brow knitted as he listened closely to the voices getting nearer. His hand reached for his gun. Gilbert crept to the front of the tent but Oz sat up and grabbed his shirt, whispering in his ear.

"No Gil, don't go out there. What if they're from Perretta," he said breathily.

"I have to. Stay here and don't make a sound," he told the blond before he opened the tent and left.

Gilbert tried to force his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but his ears were what alerted him to the vague sound of hooves trotting away.

Someone was getting away with the horse.

Gilbert ran after them; yelling for them to stop, telling them that the horse wasn't abandoned. But they didn't listen and more distance was made between him and the men who took his only means of transport. They left Gilbert in the middle of the forest with a cursing tongue and a fist that beat against a tree.

His lungs burned from running so fast, finally doubling over and resting his hands on his knees; trying to slow his breath and simultaneously comprehend yet another set back.

His heart was leaking acid again; even though anyone would have told him that he had no right to be mad…because he stole the horse as well. The world simply took it back from him. It was part of the cycle.

That's just the kind of world it was. The same heartless place that allowed a father to toss his son into an alternate dimension that no god knew; a cold vast land that had once taught the blond that he was worth more dead...as long as he exchanged his life for someone else.

…A world that would not help him.

Over the years Gilbert watched how Oz learned sorrow, rejection, tragedy, and brutality; and no amount of love and protection on Gilbert's part seemed to shield him from it.

Gilbert failed…even if he was a product of the world- he could not seem to beat it.

And everyone was a refection of it... cruel… selfish.

He hated the world

...so that must have meant – that in a twisted way

he hated himself.

**XXX- **_The Present: Friday night._

Thoughts swarmed in his head about how cold it was outside, about how Oz seemed to be getting worst, and how desperately he needed to use a phone to call Oscar. He considered all of this as he stood on those rich looking steps. That day, he had walked eight miles with the boy on his back, and accomplished nothing.

The servant inside had already turned them away once. The man wasn't rude; he just wouldn't let them in to use the phone. But Gilbert didn't give up. He wouldn't. He put Oz down and sat him so that his back was against the railing, and he placed the potato sack next to him.

"What are you doing?" Oz asked as he looked upward with his blacked rimmed eyes.

Gilbert knocked on the door again. After a few seconds it opened.

"Listen, we're not here to steal from you, my master's a noble, we're lost and…he's very ill."

The man looked him over with his aged eyes, "A Noble?...Of which house?"

Gilbert answered quickly, "Vessalius,"

He seemed to think it over for a moment, caught between wanting to help and not being sure if he should…something seemed to hold him back from saying yes. Then finally he shook his head, "I'm afraid I never heard of it before. My apologies"

The man tried to shut the door but Gilbert kicked it open all the way. Gun out and held firmly in his hand. The old man backed away from the door and Gilbert followed him in.

"Take me to the phone," the raven demanded.

"But-"

"Now"

The man nodded, trying to keep an eye on the gun and walk at the same time. It was strange but the man seemed more curious than afraid. Gilbert didn't care what he was as long as he was cooperating.

He needed to at least call Oscar and tell the man what city they were in. It was his last resort to rely on the carriage to come and get them- even if it took many days; it was better than walking blindly in the cold.

They ended up in a side hallway and Gilbert forced the man to stand back as he picked up the phone. He spun the dial. There was no sound.

His throat was dry "Why doesn't it work?" gold eyes flickered over to the man briefly before looking at the phone and trying again. He had the same result.

The old man's eyes became softer, thoughtful even, "I was embarrassed to tell you before, but our phone hasn't worked for many years. The master of the house had gotten into some financial trouble; he's never bothered to fix it. He keeps it here for aesthetic reasons, more of a visible reminder of his status than anything else."

Gilbert's hands began to visibly shake, exhaustion and realization catching up to him all at once. He lowed his gun and hung up the phone, "It's a prop, then" he laughed a little. He collapsed into a chair beside the desk; "This is the last house in the area...and the damn phone doesn't even work" he snickered and shook his head, a few broken laughs left his mouth, before he fell silent.

His hand absently rubbed his knee, his throat felt tight, like he was holding in his breath. He shook his head slowly. The words he spoke came out in tight bundles of air, "I can't...I can't take care of him like this…," his voice was scratchy, hoarse; mind broken up and lost in the midst of the heavy reality.

He looked to the side with hopeless loss in his eyes. Fresh tears rising in the orbs, "I can't...when no one will help me..." he continued to shake his head; his free hand leaving his knee and going over his eyes to hide his tears.

He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, not wanting to go back to Oz with tear streaks of defeat and fear of the near future. But he just couldn't seem to get himself on track.

It was like his feelings had defrosted.

Five days of numbing himself in order to survive, freezing over his emotions…and now they were melting enough to overwhelm him; stopping him from strictly operating in survival mode and pay emotional acknowledgment to the difficulties that they were facing.

It was especially hard when he heard the boy's small cracking voice calling for him, asking if he was alright. Oz-always positive, always loving, always doing his best. If anything, the boy's voice made gold eyes spill over.

Before he knew it, his teeth were locking, staring at empty space. Oz's sweet voice ringing in his ears, calling for him, wanting to see him.

He wanted to curl up and only wake again when they were finally home an Oz was all better - body healed and healthy, happy and carefree. No selfish world to haggle them, no stealing change off the street, no sleeping under trees. No contract, no Jack, no middle personality, no pain, no rush, not early morning pillows… and no tipsy ten hour strips of time.

"How old is he? If you don't mind my asking."

Gilbert barely heard the man, barely remembered he was there. His mouth moved before his mind could connect to what he was saying; gold eyes fixated on empty space, "…Seventeen. He's short for his age," he whispered.

"Ah..That's a good age, still plenty of time for him to grow."

Gilbert made a small sound of agreement, unblinking, unmoving, before he gathered himself and got up. He felt like he wasn't in his body anymore. He mumbled an apology for barging in that way and began to walk down the hall.

"Why don't you stay here for a few days? There isn't much food, and the meals may be meager but-"

Gilbert hadn't been listening, "Huh...?"

The man walked up to him, "Go get the boy and bring him in to get warm. You can stay here. My master won't be back for a week or so...I don't think he'd mind very much."

Gilbert finally blinked, "But I…," he couldn't believe what he was hearing, "…You'll let us stay even though I-" he looked down at the gun.

"If you were here to kill me you would have done it a long time ago." The man smiled, "Go on; go get him before he freezes over out there."

* * *

Next Chapter: Who likes surprises? I DO! :D

I love you guys XD !

Thanks for reading

Rage.


	17. Hiding Hats in Rabbits

Please forgive the grammar in this one. Finals have started so my eyes and fingers are numb from all the crap they're making us write. Yes-_crap_.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts._

* * *

**XXX Hiding Hats in Rabbits XXX**

_-::::::::Two weeks prior:::::::::::-_

_**You fool...go back to her before its too late... you're running out of time.**_

He heard that voice in his head. Loud and unmistakable; sounding mildly angry. And that didn't help the fact that it felt as though his heart froze in his chest. He knew that feeling, but it hadn't happened for so long that he almost forgot how agonizing it was.

Oz clutched his chest and flung the covers off of his still healing body as he attempted to get up from the bed. He didn't want to stumble his way to the mirror but the pain made him unable to walk steady. He lit the oil lamp and unbuttoned his shirt.

His jaw slacked when he saw what was there...

_It moved...but why?_

He examined the seal, green eyes trying to understand what he was seeing. It had moved only a small amount...but...

_Why is it happening like this?_

Oz looked around the bedroom, knowing Gilbert wasn't in there with him; lately he never was. He hobbled over to the window and looked out into the night. Seeing the lantern light below that told him where his lover was. A chill ran through him, unsure of what to do, if he should tell Gilbert or stay quiet. Then again, even if he told Gilbert…it wouldn't change the fact that there was nothing they could do about it.

**OOO-**_The Present._

Her slippers dragged scratchily against the floor as she shuffled slowly through the kitchen. She tightened her pink silk robe around her since a slight draft entered the crevices of the material. Her eyes were heavy and shaded; brown hair thrown back in a messy bun that was half coming apart.

Alice stopped in front of the oven and put on one oven mitt, but not before rolling her neck a bit to work out a kink or two. Then she rubbed her lower back. She felt sore. And she would not have gotten out of bed if it hadn't been for her stomach doing nauseous somersaults early that morning. Lately, it was becoming a norm for her, as well as her fluctuating appetite that left her cooking with no motivation except the need to practice.

Although her body felt like led, everything from the neck up felt like water; sloshing and swirling with the threat of turbulent unbalance. With her un-mitted hand she took a glass of water and sipped it, trying to wake up more. After all, she had been up for three hours and she still felt like there was sand in her eyes.

She reached down, ignoring the waving feeling in her head as she took out the apple muffins from the oven. The golden brown creations stared up at her, but their sweet smell made her stomach twist. She needed to put them down before her mouth started to water with sickness.

She placed them on the counter and ripped the oven mitts off of her hands before she left the kitchen; too tired to wait for them to cool and too uncaring to put them in the cake box.

Alice passed through the main entrance hall. She looked up the grand steps with apprehension as she huffed and started up the stairs; using the railing to help her. A week ago she would be laughing at anyone who complained that there were too many steps, but that day she empathized with them as she carried herself up them.

She wanted to take a bath to make her body relax, hoping that it would give her back some energy. If it did then it would prove to everyone that she wasn't coming down with any sickness. Sharon had been insisting that she might have the flu, and Break had been panicking every morning that she chose to sleep instead of eating breakfast.

The man would sit on the bed and help her eat some of the meal, no matter how late it made him for work.

He'd check her forehead and find no fever, yet still be afraid to leave for work since her face was a bit pale. And he swore she was losing weight, even though she didn't think so. It was hard fending off Break's worried words and persistence to stay with her. It was even harder to stop them from calling a doctor. She didn't need some quack telling her what she already knew...she was fine-end of discussion.

Right when she touched the bathroom knob Sharon call her name. Alice looked over and saw the girl approaching her from down the hall.

"Alice, Doctor Thomas will be here soon,"

"Why did you call him? You and Break keep blowing this out of proportion."

"Alice, you can't fool me like you've been fooling Break. I know you've been waiting until after he leaves to go retch up your breakfast."

Alice looked away and blushed, "Y-you were able to hear that?"

"Yes I can hear it. Even if you don't need a doctor, it's better to be safe then sorry. You know the flu's going around."

"You've told me that one hundred times," she said with frustration.

"And I'll tell you one hundred more if I have to. Now, go get dressed, he'll be here soon."

Alice grumbled with annoyance as she walked to her bedroom; mostly upset that her bath would have to wait.

**XXX**

Oz was healing. A cold was still present in his raspy cough; but he was healing nonetheless. He was finally receiving a good rest in a warm bed, with warm food, and clean clothes.

The servant there-Paul- had finally convinced Gilbert to quit his attempts to fix the phone, for he was positive that his Master would allow the other servant to take them where they needed to go. That is, if they ever showed up. It had already been two weeks.

At the moment, Oz sat in the living room window watching Gilbert rake up leaves outside. The gold sunshine reached its late afternoon peak and sparkled lovingly against the window glass, making everything outside cast solid shadows on the browning grass below.

Oz wondered how long it would take for Gilbert to snap out of the silent state that he was in. A steady quietness had taken over him; holding fast like a cold front cast over snow covered land. For the two weeks they had been there Gilbert had spent more time doing housework then resting. And when he tended to Oz it was mechanical; no love in his touch, eyes distracted.

Oz wouldn't describe it as the same type of distance that Gilbert started out with when they began there so called "trip" it was more of a tapped state, like his spirit left his body behind to do mindless work.

He didn't sleep in bed with Oz, but would sit with him until he fell asleep. Then he'd disappear into the house, or outside roaming around the estate. Maybe he was simply thinking about things - if so, what was it, and why wouldn't he talk to Oz about it?

"He'll come back," the elder servant smiled and nodded reassuringly, handing Oz some tea.

Oz's eyes stayed out the window, "I hope so...he hasn't been the same since we got here," he sipped his tea, "I feel like I've been losing him somewhere along the way…like I can't reach him."

"Give him so more time. I can tell many things have happened to you both…it's a lot to take on…a lot to think about."

It was true. Even Oz was hunted about the things that had happened to them at the Ministry. But he supposed he was better at pushing it aside then Gilbert was. Although Gilbert was the type of person to brood over things, Oz couldn't help but wonder…_what would Gilbert be like if I never went into the Abyss…if Jack wasn't in my body?_ As soon as the question was asked the answers blabbed out in a rambling line in his head: a non smoker, less paranoid, he'd drink less, worry less, and get ten years of his life back...living it the way a normal person should have lived it.

Even knowing all of that Oz selfishly wanted Gilbert to keep loving him the way he did, and stay the person he was...quiet and sweet, yet strong and sensitive. And most of all, Gilbert loved him with his whole heart, no questions, no hesitation.

But as more time passed, and Gilbert became quieter Oz began to question if that may be exactly what was happening. Was Gilbert second guessing their relationship?

Maybe the man was realizing just how much he sacrificed for Oz, how much heartache he was put through…maybe Gilbert thought Oz wasn't worth the hassle anymore.

**-:::::::::-**

Oz carried a hot cup of tea outside. The chilly air made his skin blush as he forced the worry out of his brow and brightened his features. He took a silent deep breath as he walked up beside the man, closing his eyes as he prepared to start the conversation that would most definitely destroy him depending on how it went.

"I brought you some tea."

Gilbert looked over, eyes softening as he took the tea from his hands and sipped it, "Thank you" he said.

"No problem," Oz smiled before he walked over to the low stone wall and sat down, Gilbert followed, taking his black overcoat and throwing it over the boy's shoulders. Oz was going to protest, but decided not to. He started out by playing with the bandages on his wrist before he crossed his legs at the ankles and rolled the heel of his shoe to-and-fro against the grass.

"Do you think we should, um...keep doing this?" he asked.

"Doing what?"

"Being together..."

Oz watched yellow eyes go from confused to increasingly agitated, "What is this, where is this coming from?" his low voice questioned.

"It's not coming from anywhere. I know a lot of bad things have happened to you because of being with me, so I though that maybe-"

Gilbert quickly flipped the question, tone short and brisk as the autumn wind, "Do you want to end it?"

Before he could blab out a big fat no, he looked away, "If it's what you want, I don't mind."

"..."

Oz felt his heart shaking in his chest, his lungs twisted after saying that and meeting silence. He was afraid to swallow; afraid to get up...he used what was left in his lungs to speak again.

"Should I take your silence as a yes, then?"

"Look me in the eyes and say that again."

"S-say what again?"

"That you don't mind."

Green eyes rounded out, _Is he making sure I accept it before he agrees_? He forced himself to meet his gold gaze. Gilbert's eyes were watchful, waiting, and serious. And Oz was completely sure that he couldn't state that lie while looking in those beautiful orbs.

"I.." he tried, "I don't.." he tried again, "..." he failed. He shook his head wanting to consume all of the air that his lungs were losing, "I mind, Gil. But I won't stop you if you think its better that way."

"Everything in the world has threatened to take you from me, why would you suggest that I _willingly_ let you go after we fought so hard to stay together?"

"I wasn't sure. It's not fair to expect you to stay if you always suffer in the end."

"Suffer?" he said with confusion.

Oz nodded, "You barely talk to me when you're upset like this...I never know what you're thinking about, or what you're really feeling. The only time I find out is when something horrible happens to you."

Gilbert stayed quiet and let Oz continue.

"It's not like when we were kids, Gil. You'd always tell me when you were sad or scared or anything, but..."

"Have you ever considered that I just don't know what to say? Especially after something like this happened. I need time to process it. I'm not like you. I can't just accept everything and move on the next day."

"I'm not asking you to be like me... I just wish you would open up more, instead of dealing with everything alone. Besides, what good am I to you if you can't rely on me? If you don't let me know I'll keep making mistakes like this...guessing all the time."

"But _this_, Oz? You know how I feel about you...me wanting to leave you should have never crossed your mind as a possibility."

Oz shrugged, realizing how foolish it was, he looked down at the grass.

"I admit that I'm not the most talkative person. But right now, I'm just trying to figure things out. Everything ended up so wrong so quickly...I don't know how to fix it."

Oz grabbed his hand and held it, "You've already done enough, Gil. Without you, we wouldn't have survived all of that….you're the reason why I'm able to sit here right now."

Gilbert's shoulders seemed to relax after Oz said that, then the boy got up, "If you need more time to think about things then I understand…but remember that I'm always here to listen to you…because we're in it together."

Oz let the man's hand go, but Gilbert took it back and stood up. They faced each other for a moment before Oz's lips were swept up in a long deep kiss that surprisingly added to the pink in his cheeks. They hadn't kissed like that in weeks, Gilbert's warm tongue dancing carefully in his mouth, soft and sweet and loving. Oz felt himself melting with relief, he could feel the man's love for him radiating into his body…and it felt good, it felt right. He had missed that.

When Gilbert pulled away he whispered to Oz.

"I'd never want to leave you. Promise me you won't think like that again."

Oz smiled widely, "Only if you promise to kiss me like that everyday…then sure."

Gilbert chuckled warmly, "I promise" he said, before he pecked his lips again then ruffled the boy's hair. They walked hand in hand toward the temporary home that had sheltered them from the cold; both breathing more easily than they had in weeks.

**OOO**

"…Since then we have detained three illegal contractors. None have been able to summon their chain or encourage them to complete a contract transfer. Because of this, our next test will be…"

Break's eyes were on his tea, lazily swirling his spoon in it. The only sound in his mind was his own thoughts as he sat in the board meeting.

He was surely wishing he was elsewhere at that moment. He wanted to go back home and check on Alice. He was suspicious, and that secrete wish he had was coming to the forefront and making him jump to excited conclusions.

His heart was doing celebratory back flips as he ran down the list of symptoms that he knew Alice had…and what those symptoms pointed to. Her appetite was off, she was always tired, and he had just so happen to overhear her getting sick in the bathroom that morning when he ran back in the house to get a report he had forgotten.

"Do you have any final thoughts to add, Sir?"

"..." What if he was wrong? She could just be getting a seasonal sickness; the flu was going around, wasn't it? But if it was the flu there were no coughs, no sniffles, no sneezes...no fever.

Was it wrong to want to be right? Was it like having a cake and trying to eat it too?

"Mr. Break?" the agent said louder until the white haired man was forced into paying attention.

"Yes?" he responded finally. The agents in the room cast surprised side glances at each other, noticing just how oblivious he was.

"Do you have any final thoughts on the proposed plan?"

"ah…no, it sounds fine. Let's meet again in one week for a follow up. Good work everyone. Meeting adjourned," Break gave a large smile as he stood up and gathered his unused paperwork; aligning them by standing up the stack and tapping it against the table. As the room cleared out he saw Oscar approaching him from the corner of his eye.

"Break, do you have a minute?"

"I always have time to spare for you, Oscar" he laughed pleasantly "What's the trouble?"

Oscar looked around as though he was trying to make sure no one heard him, "Do you remember when I told everyone that Gilbert and Oz were on a trip?

"umhm."

"Well, they haven't come back yet. And I haven't spoken to Gilbert in three weeks. It's not like either of them to not check in with me. Have you heard from them at all recently?"

"I spoke with Gilbert a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard back from him since."

"Did he mention where they were?"

"He did. Come into my office, we'll talk about it there."

Oscar nodded and followed after the man. They turned a corner or two before they ended up in a large office with a long shiny cherry wood desk and heavy burgundy curtains that flowed down the side of the massive windows behind Break's leather chair.

Break sat on the edge of the desk as Oscar shut the door, "The last time I spoke with him he said he was at the Ministry of Freedom."

"The Ministry...in Perretta? Why would they be way out there?"

Break sighed, "I'm not sure either of them have been completely honest with you."

"They really weren't on vacation?"

"I'm afraid not."

"But the Ministry is...it's like a mad house. What would cause them to go there?"

"Jack" Break said, pulling three candies out of his sleeve.

Oscar began to pace slowly across the room, scratching his blond hair as he thought out loud "I can't believe they would hide something like this from me. Even worst, I can't believe I didn't notice that Oz was struggling. You'd think I'd be able to tell, he's my nephew after all...jeeze."

"You're being too hard on yourself. You know how clever teenagers are when they want to hide things."

"Still...I should have noticed something. Come to think of it, he was a little strange a few weeks before they left. But I never put two and two together," he said regretfully.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. They probably refrained from telling you because they didn't want you to worry. But I'm surprised to hear that they haven't come back yet, and that you haven't heard from them."

"That's why I'm concerned. I know Gilbert well enough to assume he'd call me like he said he would. Something must have happened to them."

"Give it one more day. If you still haven't heard from them we'll put together a search party."

"Ok…I just hope they're alright."

"Remember who we're talking about. Believe me, if nothing else knowing how to survive is what they do best.

"You right. Thanks Xerxes, I knew I could count on you."

"Anytime, Oscar, Anytime," he laughed, "Be sure to call me tomorrow so we can plan our next move."

**-:::::::-**

Liam stood at Break's office door. The man had his back to him, and Liam thought about leaving when he realized Break was on the phone, but his curiosity kept him there.

"…No, my love, I'm not _bored_. I'm checking up on you to see how you're feeling. I- who was that just now?...In the background ...You're sure? That voice was too deep to be Miss Sharon. - Wait- Alice?"

The man hung up with a huff, and then he caught Liam standing there.

"Is everything Ok?"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know," the mad man said as he dug his hand in his candy dish and shoved a few colorful sweets in his mouth, chewing them harshly with aggravation.

"If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. I mean...I don't know if you stopped trusting me because I still work under Rufus, but-"

"I never stopped trusting you, Liam," he assured, "But there may be no use hiding this from you anymore" he said mostly to himself, "How about we step out for an hour or so, I need to check on something."

"Sure, but where are we going?"

"I think all of your questions will be answered once we get there. Hopefully mine will be as well," he sighed, adjusting his sword and putting on his overcoat.

**OOO**

Between Sharon's excited fast talking and the doctor's smiling congratulation she could barely hear her own thoughts. She was having enough trouble getting over all the personal questions he had asked her about her body and if she had been intimate with anyone…not to forget the physical exam that made the blood rush to her cheeks when his hands touched private places that only Break had been before that. Although, it did help that Sharon had been in the room the whole time.

But it had been the doctor's final assessment that took her the longest to wrap her mind around. It was finally sinking in, causing her heart to beat with excited joy, yet her stomach sank in fear making it hard for her to figure out which emotion she should embrace.

She could faintly hear the doctor talking about healthy foods to eat and things that she should be careful doing, like going up and down the stairs and exerting too much energy. Her attention was caught again when his voice took on a concerned tone.

"If I'm not mistaken you're still in a contract with Oz Vessalius, correct?"

She blinked once before her eyes refocused and she looked at him, giving a nod.

"This is just an assumption, but I think you should refrain from changing into your B-Rabbit form, at least until after the birth."

Sharon chimed in, "What would happen if she did?"

The doctor continued writing and speaking at the same time, "It would create an imbalance in her physical composition. Right now she's been stabilized to the point that she could conceive. But still being in a contract means that she retains the ability to fluctuate between both forms; which isn't good. Logically, her chain form wouldn't be able to support a human baby because chains aren't built for reproduction...even if she's a special case."

Sharon walked closer to the bed, "I'm not sure I understand..."

The doctor stopped writing for a moment, "It's about adaptation. For instance, let's say Alice's human form started out more fluid - like 'water'. And compared to the Abyss this world was extremely 'cold'. As you know, putting water in a cold atmosphere will eventually turn it to ice. But, if you place heat on that ice, then it turns back into water. The more solid the ice is the longer it will take to melt. Please don't take offense Miss Alice, but you're not completely solid yet."

"So you're saying that essentially, Alice is only 'half frozen'...like thin ice."

"Correct. Her chain power would be the 'heat' in this case. Releasing her power would cause her to shift back into her chain form, and the human form she returns to after that won't be this one. She'll be the way she was when she first came from the Abyss; a human body with dormant organs. Right now, she's leaning more toward being completely human, but to force her chain power into use now would be extremely dangerous, to say the least.

"It wouldn't kill her would it?" hesitant fear took hold of Sharon's voice.

"No, of course not."

Alice's hand unconsciously touched her stomach, "...What about my baby?" she whispered.

The doctor shook his head sadly, "Most likely...it wouldn't survive the transformation."

Alice's hand gently clutched the fabric over her stomach while the other tightened around the bed sheets; bangs covering her eyes as she looked down toward her lap.

"Of course all of this is speculation. But I would just play it safe and adhere to it."

Sharon quietly sat on the bed, putting her arms around the frightened girl, "Alice, he's only telling us what _could_ happen. If we avoid doing that then-"

"I know...but what if I get dragged into battle or Pandora decides they need me to fight-"

"That won't happen. As long as we tell Oz what's going on he'll know not to release your power...and Break will take care of any of Pandora's request to have you help them."

_Break..._

Break was another issue. The man was more than busy, and it wasn't likely that his research would be done anytime soon; even if they hoped it would be at first. How would he take it when he found out? Would he be more stressed, would he be upset…

"Sharon, don't tell Break yet. I'll tell him when I'm ready," Alice looked at the doctor, "That goes for you too."

"I respect your request. And excuse me if this comes off wrong, I just want to make sure that I'm right in assuming that Xerxes Break is the father?"

"Who else would it be?" she asked with sincere curiosity as to whom the man could be thinking of.

"I thought that maybe...never mind," the man smiled and jotted some more notes in his bright red notebook.

**OOO**

Break realized who that carriage belonged to, making him to take a deep breath to keep his temper at bay.

"That carriage looks familiar," Liam said as they pulled up to the Rainsworth mansion.

"It should, it belongs to a friend of yours," Break said indolently.

They got out of the carriage and walked up the steps. It seemed they were just in time. The doctor was being led down the stairs by Miss Sharon who appeared utterly surprised to see Break home at that early hour in the day. Break didn't waste any time walking up to them.

"Why are you here? I don't remember calling you for any reason."

Sharon spoke up, "I was worried about Alice," she looked nervously at the doctor "I thought Dr. Thomas wouldn't mind coming over to check on her."

Liam exchanged a small friendly greeting with the doctor but stayed silent after that.

The white haired man's eyes darted from the doctor to Sharon, "I thought we agreed to call a regular doctor, Miss Sharon."

"I know, but we're already acquainted with Doctor Thomas...I didn't see the harm in it."

Break turned to the doctor again, "Were you able to figure out what's wrong with her?" Break asked.

"I've sworn to keep that information confidential, sir. I assure you its nothing to worry about. We can have a real conversation about it once it's been brought to your attention by Alice. As of now though, she would like me to refrain from telling you."

"Is this true?" he asked Sharon.

"Yes, she instructed us both not to say anything."

Break looked up the stairs, red eye concerned and searching, "Where is she now?"

Sharon followed his gaze and spoke, "Upstairs…taking a bath."

During an awkward silence the doctor spoke up again, "If you don't mind, I really must be going-"

Break stepped closer, "You can leave after you hand it over to me."

The doctor was baffled, "Pardon me?"

"The notebook. You took notes didn't you?"

"Yes, but, with all due respect, I already explained that I can't share those with you."

"You don't need to share them with me..."he walked over to a small trash barrel from beside the desk near the stairs and took the matches off the desk. He dragged it over to them, struck a match and threw it inside. The papers quickly caught fire, "You can share them with the flames instead."

The doctor shook his head in resistance to the idea, "There are progress notes about other patients in the notebook. I couldn't possibly-"

"You _will _do it," Break's red eye narrowed, "Or I'll do it for you."

"Break, please be reasonable," Sharon urged.

"I am being reasonable. You're sadly mistaken if you think this time is any different from the last. Now, would you like me to burn the notebook or would you like to?"

The doctor looked at the flames, considering his limited options, "Would it be alright if I burn just the pages pertaining to her?"

"Not if you won't allow me to search your bag and go through the notes. But we already discussed why I can't do that. The whole notebook must go in."

The doctor reluctantly reached into his bag and took out a blue notebook. He walked over to the fire and closed his eyes with regret before he readied himself to toss it in.

Something caught Break's attention, though; a shift in the room's overall atmosphere. The shift was coming from Miss Sharon who suddenly had a very particular look on her face as she watched the doctor; like she was trying to figure out something. That's when Break realized...

The sound of a sword being unsheathed startled the whole room; catching the doctor by surprise when the metal tip was pointed at his throat.

The doctor gasped, "What-?"

"Break, what's going on?" Liam asked, sadly confused and unable to stop himself from asking questions. But Break left them unanswered.

"Miss Sharon, what color was the notebook that he was writing in upstairs?" he asked without breaking his eyes away from the man who was now beginning to sweat.

There was a brief suspense filled silence in the room, like everyone was holding their breath waiting for the answer. Finally, "It was...red."

"I knew it," the man was forced backward as Break walked forward with the sword, "Who are you working for?"

"No one, sir. I beg you to hear me out first!"

Break raised an impatient eyebrow, "I'm listening."

"The same way you protect Miss Alice is the same way I must protect my patients, even if it means protecting them from myself. To throw away their records is like throwing away their health...that's the only reason I deceived you. You _must_ believe me."

Break stepped closer and smiled, "That's the problem; I _don't _believe you."

Sharon quickly got in Break's way, forcing him to lower his sword, "Break, think about what you're doing. You can't-"

"Please allow me to deal with this in the way I see fit. Its bad enough that he was called here without my knowledge, but for you to defend him at a time like this is beyond me."

"Because I trust him. He's been so helpful to us, and kind. And he's provided so much information about the baby-" she gasped sharply and covered her mouth with both hands. "Oh no...I wasn't supposed to say anything."

"Baby..." Break whispered. Break's red eye instantly lost its menacing glare and traveled toward the second floor again, as if he were ready to go to Alice that minute, "How far along is she?"

"A few weeks at most, it's still very early," the doctor responded.

Sharon took the opportunity to try and talk him out of his previous action.

"Now can you see why you should spare him? No one else will know the best way to care for her...we need him, Break."

Break looked back at the doctor, debating with himself as to what should be done. Sharon spoke up once again.

"If he betrays your trust and something bad happens, let me take responsibility for it."

"You honestly trust him to the extent that you'd put yourself on the line for him?"

She nodded. Break rolled his eyes to the ceiling, and then sheathed his sword, causing everyone else to breathe in a sigh of relief.

"I wouldn't let you take the fall for him. Whatever he chooses to do with this information is on him, and _he_ will be the one to pay the price for it. The secret is out now; give me the notebook so I can remove the pages about Alice."

The doctor went into his black bag, then handed Break the red notebook. Break skimmed through it and spoke at the same time.

"If Miss Sharon didn't trust you the way she does then I would find another doctor. But she has a point about your knowledge being essential to us. In the end, it's still your decision whether or not you'd like to continue proving Alice's medical care."

"If you'll allow it, then yes. I only hope to make this a successful birth, and assist in any way possible."

Break looked up and studied the man before going back to looking through the notebook, he sighed, "Very well. From now on, I will provide you a separate notebook for Alice. You can write whatever you like in it, and refer to it when needed, but you cannot remove it from this property."

"Yes sir," the man said, watching Break rip out the pages that he was looking for, and look them over before speaking again.

"I'll send you my payment tomorrow," Break informed.

"Oh, that's not necessary, really it's not."

"Even so, I'd feel better if you were paid. There may be times that I need your assistance that inconvenience you. Look at it as compensation for that. Anyway, you're free to leave, I'll keep these notes for the future," he folded up the papers and put them in his pocket.

"I apologize for the misunderstanding. Please tell Alice that I will come back in two weeks to check on her progress," the doctor gave a deep bow, "Congratulations sir, it's an honor to be of service to you and your unborn. I will certainly do my best."

Break began to slowly walk down the hall to his study, "When it comes to Alice, I don't want your best, Doctor Thomas. I want nothing less than perfection."

**-:::::::::-**

"Everything makes sense now," Liam said as he sat down in Break's study. They had both retreated into the room to talk about what had just occurred in the entrance hall. Break sat across from him, a thoughtful expression etched into his features.

"I realize now why you treat the doctor that way. If Pandora found out about all of this…they'd take her from you."

"A series of things would happen. Alice ending up in a laboratory is only one of them."

"Are you worried?"

"Very…. Even more so because Pandora's not the only threat anymore."

"Who's the other threat?" Break took the doctor's notes from his pocket and handed them to Liam. The man adjusted his glasses and read the paper. After a few moments Liam whispered with understanding, "…It's a high-risk pregnancy…I never even thought about that."

Break nodded, "She'll need extra care because her physical state is still fragile. And the status of her contract can prove hazardous if we can't regulate Oz's use of it," he paused, "Still, whatever I have to do to prevent the worst from happening, I'll do it," his voice tightened at the thought, "I'm not sure how I'd handle it if…"he trailed off.

Liam spoke softly, "You really want this baby, don't you?"

Break closed his eyes and gave a deep nod, "I feel like the man who finally got everything he wanted; no matter how happy he is…he's always in fear of suddenly losing everything."

"Break…"Liam's heart filled with empathy. More than most people, he was aware of what Break had been through in his life…and all the pain that surrounded his past.

"After what happened to the Sinclair's, I swore to myself I would never have a family of my own. A part of me felt I didn't deserve to have one…and another part was afraid that I wouldn't be able to protect them if something happened," he took a deep breath, "I don't know if Alice realizes this or not, but she's given me the will to do something I've never done before."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Move forward...without getting in my own way," with that, Break stood up and began heading to the door, but Liam grabbed his arm to stop him. Liam kneeled on one knee; hand over his heart and head pointed down in respect.

"I don't think Rufus would like the idea of you bowing to me," he joked lightly.

"That doesn't matter. I vow to help protect you and Alice in whatever way I can; even if it means facing consequences from Pandora."

Liam was expecting Break to laugh at him, or brush off his pledge like he usually would. But instead, the man looked grateful and a little relieved.

"That means a lot to me, Liam. I have a feeling that I'll need an ally in this."

**XXX**

It was night time, and Oz sat on the bed as he changed into his night clothes. When Oz finally pulled the shirt over his head he noticed that Gilbert had silently come into the bedroom; he had been watching Oz.

The blond laughed uneasily, "Gil, you startled me," he said, hoping Gilbert didn't see his chest, "Are you coming to bed tonight?"

Gilbert gave a light nod but his attention was less on the conversation than it was on Oz's chest area. The raven eyed him with confusion, before he walked over to him and gently lifted the shirt up again.

"It moved..." he said quietly before he looked up into his eyes, "When were you planning to tell me?"

Green orbs looked away, "It could have always been that way. I haven't looked at it in a while."

"…It wasn't like this before," Gilbert said, recalling the last time that he saw the boy without a shirt, "...there was exactly a quarter left, and now..."

"It's moved on its own before..."Oz reminded.

"I know that…" the raven said firmly, he swallowed shakily, voice softer, "But not backwards...Not in _reverse_."

* * *

*small cough * SUPRISE...well...maybe some of you aren't, I may have given away too many hints throughout the story. But for those who are surprised...SUPRISE! * big cough*

:P

Thanks for reading

-Rage

P.S WOW...I was on Wikipedia yesterday checking on Pandora Hearts ('cause you know I still haven't read the manga *shame* and I read something new...Jack was prostitute O.o is this true? (Gasp).


	18. Frigid

**Sorry for the wait :'( Authors note at bottom.**

**This chapter continues from the last, it's the same day.**

I do not own Pandora Hearts.

* * *

**XXX Frigid XXX**

That day, she acted as if nothing was different. Resisting urges to sit when her body felt heavy, laughing lightly at the dinner table even when her head was wracked with worry, forcing herself to eat lunch and dinner regardless of the sickness that threatened her stomach.

She was so caught up in acting normal, that it was easy for her to overlook the extra soft glances that she was receiving from her lover, not even noticing the awkward tension Miss Sharon was displaying since the guilt of a told secrete made her back stiff and her smile crack crocked.

When the sun sank completely, so did Alice…onto the lap of her lover once they lay in the bed. She approached him the way she always would. A massage to calm him before slipping on top of him and encouraging that passionate event to take place, because what was more normal than doing that?

But that night…it was different. He was different.

He seemed preoccupied and pensive. Focused, yet, deeply thinking about every move their bodies made, every angle he shifted her into, even if it was only by a few degrees. But still, it felt good. Lighter, slower, but no less loving than the times that he was less calculating, more absorbed.

By the time they were finished they were completely hidden under a white sheet. Her body trembled as his hands grazed softly over her naked skin.

"You were gentle tonight," she whispered down to him, hands smoothing over his chest as she continued to sit on his waist. If anyone were to peek into the room, they would have seen the tent like structure on the bed, white sheet hiding them completely but revealing her upright position.

He chuckled lightly, still able to see her in the glow of the dim lamp light, "Are you criticizing my performance?"

She giggled quietly, shaking her head, "No…I just noticed…" her voice trailed off, the same way her hands trailed over his toned arms.

She shivered lightly as his hands ran down the sides of her stomach. Although it felt good, it made her nervous when his hands lingered there longer than normal.

"Hmmh," he mused to himself, eyes transfixed on the area around her navel, unintentionally alerting her that he was thinking about something.

"What?" she asked.

"…Nothing" he used his whole hand to graze the area of her stomach, a feather soft touch that made her cheeks blush and her eyes float to the side in shy nervousness. Her mind began to wonder.

_Does he know already…but how?… I'm just being paranoid…I should just tell him now and get it over with….what if he gets upset?…._

She looked back at him, still highly aware that his hands continued to caress her stomach, which made her all the more worried since the attention that he usually gave her thighs was now directed to the area she was hesitating to acknowledge. She swallowed deeply, and bought her hands over his so that both pair of hands cradled the area.

"Break…I…I don't know what you're going to think when I tell you this."

His eyes traveled up to look at her, before calmly traveling back down to view their intertwined hands, "I already know," he said in a satisfied whisper.

Her eyes widened, "You do? But…did Sharon tell you?"

He smiled softly, "I had a pretty good hunch," he laughed lightly.

"And…you're not mad?" she asks with hesitation.

His expression became baffled, "Mad? I'm ecstatic."

"..ah…really?" her voice held slight disbelief.

"What about Pandora?….If they find out…"

Slowly, he sat up so that they were face to face, and hushed her with a warm kiss, "Don't worry about Pandora. I'll take care of them. In the meantime, we'll let this be our precious little secret."

She gave a firm nod of agreement, and returned another kiss to him.

**-:::::::::-**

She woke up to the smell of juniper, fox orchard, and baby's breath, each sweet and subtle scent hitting her nose delicately. When her eyes opened, bouquets covered the corners of the room, almost overpowering the large space with their flowery fullness.

She took a second to take it all in, stifling a small gasp at all the soft colors and the different types of petals that sprouted from them. Alice reached over and took a small juniper flower from the bouquet and brought it to her nose.

Eyes closed in satisfaction as her olfactory nerves went to work cherishing the smell. When she looked over the room again she noticed a few cards that were positioned in the bouquets. She crawled across the bed and made her way over to each one, collecting the decorated notes and sitting back on the bed.

She read them one by one.

_"Congratulations Alice. Best wishes - Doctor Thomas" _

_"Please have a girl so I can take her shopping.- Sharon"_

_"You and Break have my many blessings. Congratulations to you both."-Liam_

As for the rest of the cards, each one…was from the same persons - Break. And it made her blush as she read the words that were written on each one of them, a simple "Thank You." Though she would never admit it, there was something sad about that, something that made her heart flutter and sigh at the same time. Her eyes went out of focus as she stared out the window and thought of the man.

How hard it must have been to be alive for so long, and yet…he was just getting around to feeling that type of happiness, as if she alone completed him.

The door opened. Her brow knitted in confused surprise, seeing the man entering the room with brunch. She quickly looked over at the clock on the table; it was ten in the morning. She was so surprised to still see him home that she could barely speak, "But aren't you supposed to-"

"I thought I'd take a day off," he poured some tea into a teacup, and Alice couldn't complain; she was relieved to see him. He motioned for her to get back in bed and she crawled back under the covers as he brought her a tray.

**XXX –Three days later**

They didn't talk about it. It wasn't time to talk about it yet. Even when he shifted in his seat and held his chest lightly, they pretend it wasn't happening.

Hushed lips remained sealed to secretes, and heavy thoughts loomed in their mind as they rode back home. Like soldiers, battle torn and tired, they exited the carriage. Eyes fixed on the summer home that they should have already left- it was autumn now, so their summer dwelling need not be inhabited.

"Please wait here for a moment, I'd like you to give something to your master for me," Oz ran into the house while Gilbert remained outside.

His eyes briefly met Martha's as he said a quick hello and hurried past her. The stunned female began to throw questions at him but he politely told her he'd speak to her about it later.

But he had no real intention on doing so…. not with the way he was feeling.

He wrote out a quick "Thank you" note to Paul, and to his Master then slipped in a good sum of money into an envelope and sealed it with a hot red wax stamp.

Upon his return outside, he and Gilbert watch the carriage leave them, before they headed back inside together.

Although Oz had been in the house briefly before that, when he had a chance to really look around he noticed that the house had a different energy than it usually did. No Alice, no Miss Kate. And according to Martha, Oscar was gone on a wild goose chase it seemed…looking for them.

They must have missed the man by a day or two. When Oscar came back they were sure they would receive and earful from him. But neither worried about that as they got settled, not bothering to unpack because they had nothing with them.

On the other hand, the house was in fact packed up a bit. Usually, they didn't take much back with them when they returned to their usually home. However, little things that they would need were in boxes, clothes, personal items, and some food as well. Some of their things were already near the door - as if Oscar was impatiently waiting for them to come back so they could leave the place together.

"It kinda of feels like we never lived here...huh?" Oz asked as he sat down restlessly at the kitchen table and watched Gilbert put on some tea.

"uhm," the raven agreed, solemnly. Gilbert moved around the kitchen slowly, mind filled to the brim with quiet thoughts. Pieces of him were happy to be back, while other pieces of him knew not to get too comfortable. Not only physically comfortable, since they very well would be leaving soon, but comfortable in his own mind either. He had already noticed the repercussions of returning.

The closer they had traveled toward their city, the more moments Oz's eyes would glaze over. Or when he would ask the boy a question he seemed as though he couldn't hear him. Gilbert knew what was about to happen, but the "trip" had served as a strengthener for him

…he was ready this time.

"…You still want to go on that vacation?" Oz mumbled unevenly, eyes flickering to his lover.

Gilbert looked over at him, observing the troubled look in those beautiful green eyes. The tremble of teetering instability rippled though his gaze …disturbing it like strong wind on clam waters.

The raven hesitated before he answered. To actually get away from it all, not even for the purpose of finding help for Oz, but to just to be with him…it would be a blessing after the curses that they were living through.

But Gilbert knew better, to leave now would be the equivalent of cowardice, on his part at least.

"It's better if we stay home for a while first. Oscar's been through enough worrying…he wouldn't agree with us leaving again so soon. Besides, it's getting cold out…it would be unsafe to travel if we have an early winter," he gave those words as his reason, knowing it was only partially true.

Oz's brow quivered a bit, licking his dry lips as he looked away, "What about that party, then?…So people know about us," Oz offered with a nervous smile that he sent Gilbert's way before looking toward the window again.

His leg began to shake as he started rambling anxiously, "I can start calling people today; maybe Sharon will help us plan it since she's good at this stuff. Then we can go shopping for the clothes we'll wear, and maybe get some decorations, I should start making the list of guest, come to think of it…and as far as the winter goes, that's ok, because I don't mind the cold so much, and there's lots of places to go in the winter that we'll enjoy…so its fine, because if we have the party then we can use the vacation as a little honeymoon…you know? Just the two of us, 'cause there's plenty of places to go, Gil, 'cause… well, umm… actually, I have a book about places we could go, let me go get it-"

"Oz," Gilbert said softly, causing the boy to stay put since he was beginning to get up from the table. Oz looked as though he were struggling to sit down again, but he did.

Gilbert brought the tea over, sitting next to the boy, "We'll have the party soon, maybe sometime after we move back home….how about when Ada has her school break?"

Oz looked at Gilbert with deep concern, "That's a few months away…"

"I know," Gilbert responded, sipping his tea, "What's wrong with that?"

Oz swallowed dryly, not even thinking about drinking the warm tea in front of him, "I don't understand…"Oz began, voice weak with confusion, "You were so excited about all of this…and now you…" the blond looked down, hands gripping the edge of the table, bouncing leg suddenly halting.

"My feelings haven't changed about any of it, I still-"

Oz spoke with urgency, "Then why don't you want to do it _now_, why are you delaying everything?"

Gilbert placed his hand over Oz's, wanting to put the boy at ease, "Oz-"

"No" he said, ripping his hand from him, "I don't…I'm not going to force this on you right now. Just forget it."

Oz quickly got up, but Gilbert reached out and took a light hold of his arm before the boy could leave. With the other hand holding his tea, he sipped it slowly, gold eyes mildly focused on the kitchen window, he spoke in a whisper, "I'm going to take care of you, Oz. No matter what."

Oz's eyes instantly became glassy, yanking his arm away as though Gilbert was on the verge of breaking it. He gave out a broken laugh of disbelief, "I-I don't even know what you're talking about –"

Gilbert kept his eyes fixed on the window, taking another sip of his tea.

"I'm talking about how we're not going to run from this."

Blond hair tossed gently back and forth, another bitter laugh, two tears falling, "No ones _running_, Gil. There's nothing to run from….there's nothing…."

Gilbert finally looked back at the boy, slowly putting his cup down and standing up. His first step toward Oz only caused the boy to take a step back.

"No..."Oz's voice cracked, hand going up to place distance between him and Gilbert, "I don't even want you near me right now, don't even look at me. You have it all wrong. You're _wrong,_ Gil. No one's trying to run from anything!"

Gilbert was unfazed by the harsh words, still adamant on approaching the boy. He watched Oz literally back himself into a corner as he tried to keep Gilbert from touching him. When Oz's back hit against the wall he whimpered slightly before closing his eyes and sliding down the wall.

He crouched down into a ball, covering his face with his hands as though making himself smaller would stop the truth from finding its way to him.

Although he resisted Gilbert at first, the larger male easily scooped Oz into his arms and lifted him from the floor.

"Why won't you leave with me?…It's the only way…why don't you get it?" he sobbed.

"I do get it…that why we have to stay," Gilbert carried them out of the side door, steadily walking with the boy cradled in his arms. A few minutes of walking led him to the walkway near the gravesite. It was colder than it should have been outside, but it just made Gilbert hold the boy closer to him. Gilbert faced the city, kissing Oz's forehead as the blond clung to him.

"I'm afraid…" he finally admitted.

"…Me too," the raven whispered to him.

"I don't want you to see _him _anymore…I want it to be us…If the seal moves more, and I do disappear with him…I want to be myself when it happens. I want as many moments with you as possible before…"

"You're not going to disappear, I promise you that."

Oz didn't challenge him, sniffling instead as he listened to Gilbert continue.

"We have to stay because leaving won't stop him, it won't slow the seal down and it won't keep him from possessing you. He already proved to us that he can come out at will, and if we leave we'll only be delaying it for as long as he thinks he can handle being without her… its easier for me to care for you if we're at home, he could try anything if we're not in a familiar space."

"He's already so restless again…angry, even. But I think he's just as afraid as I am…"

"He should be…when the seals gone, he'll be going with it. And he knows that….his time is running out."

They were silent for a few moments; only Oz's uneven breath could be heard being carried on the wind.

"I'm going to miss you, Gil. Now that we're back…he told me that he wouldn't let me see you very much" he sniffled, another three tears falling.

"Even if he doesn't, I'm going to be right beside you the whole time."

"I know…you always have been…."

"I always will be…"

"Gil…I want you to do something for me…"

"Anything…."

"….."

**XOXOX - Perretta**

Oscar stood in the main doorway of the massive building, unable to get a clear look at the hallway behind the woman in front of him.

"I'm looking for a boy named Oz, I think he may have come here a few weeks ago," Oscar looked the woman over as she stood there, holding the hand of a blond haired girl who was trying to twirl around beside her.

"He isn't here anymore."

"Oh..." Oscar said quietly, "Do you know-"

"There was another one with him, right, an older man with black hair?"

"Yes."

"He's wanted in this town for murder...he shot our director."

"What?" Oscar was puzzled, surly the woman was incorrect, "Why would he do such a thing?"

"I don't know..." she looked away for a moment, struggling to hold the girl still, "But if you see him, we'd appreciate it if you call us. They lost track of him a few weeks ago. He was spotted a few towns away but by the time we heard he was already gone."

"I see…well, thank you."

Before she could close the door a young boy appeared, pushing his way past her.

"You know Oz?" he asked in monotone.

The woman looked as though she wanted to scold him, but she let him speak and moved out of the way.

Oscar leaned down a little to get a better look at the boy. His black hair was a mess, clothes three sizes too tight on him, and his eyes looked sad...like he didn't know what a smile was.

"Yes, Oz is my nephew," Oscar said with a soft smile. But the boy didn't return it. Instead, he brought a small cloth bag forward and held it out to him.

"Please give this to him."

"What's in it?" the man asked.

"Things that shouldn't be forgotten…important things."

Oscar paused for a moment before he took the bag from him. He looked in inside seeing a few pairs of shorts, undeniably belonging to Oz. There was a brown teddy bear, some decorative playing cards…and the gold pocket watch.

Oscar looked back in time to see the boy walking away.

"Wait. What's your name?...I'd like to tell him you gave this to him," he called after him.

The boy looked back, sad eyes locking with his, "My name's not an important thing…so it's ok if he forgets it."

A strong breeze blew across his face as he stood there, so strong that he closed his eyes for a moment gripping the bag tighter in his hand. When he opened his eyes again, the door was closed, and before he thought any deeper on it he turned and began walking down the steps.

He was sure that in the corner of his eye he caught the sight of window curtains closing in the small building across the street.

**XXX**

In the days to come, he would remember just how important that day was.

The look of those sad eyes, so bright, glassy…. and broken; they were burned into his memory. And slowly, he wove the life back into them, love needles piercing his stilled heart until it beat insanely. Peach bruised lips that quivered gently every time Gilbert kissed the tears that slipped between them.

In days to come, he would draw more strength from that day. He would remember everything…

The way smaller hands shook as they gripped his strong back. Lush legs wrapped around his waist…pleading, wanting…needing. As sheets lay forgotten at the end of the bed – a pile to be pushed against, a pile to fall away from the mattress eventually, while large hand caressed blushed cheeks.

And his cheeks did blush. They blushed fiercely when a certain spot was rubbed against, a spot deep inside him that reminded him that he had a lover who knew him well, _very_ well in fact. Gilbert knew every space, every crevice, and most of all…what his heart sounded like.

"…_Why do you love me like this?" _peach lips moaned incoherently…more tears falling, blush deepening as Gilbert deepened the pressure he put on that sweet spot within him.

A gasp was heard as his hands were lightly pinned next to either side of his head; neck being attacked sweetly. His back arched, feeling one of Gilbert's hands slip down between them, beginning to massage his length.

"_Answer me…"_ the blond demanded through a groan, speeding toward his climax, yet, he was still desperate to understand- desperate to hold onto his questioning thoughts even though the pleasure was very near erasing them completely.

"_Just accept it,"_ Gilbert said, speeding up his thrust and tightening the hold he had on Oz's weeping manhood. Oz shuddered violently, unable to back away from the edge anymore, "_Tell me you accept it"_ Gilbert breathed into his ear.

And in days to come, he would remember his response, and what his glassy eyes looked like when he said it. The way he refused to answer at first, shaking his head "no" before Gilbert connected their foreheads and watched Oz's eyes widened as he forced the boy to nod "yes" instead.

And most of all, he'd remember the sound of him saying he'd accept it, while his eyes fluttered and his seed coated Gilbert's fingertips.

When three days passed and he found the boy's body standing in the middle of Alice's bedroom, surrounded by broken glass, brand new dresses that were ripped apart, fancy oil lamps that were smashed, and expensive beads from beautiful necklaces scattered across the floor; he still remembered.

Even when the voice that spoke to him was not his…and he saw the lit match in his hand, along with the kerosene that he began to pour onto the floor.

Yes, he would remember. Always…

"_I'm going to miss you, Gil…"_

"I'm sorry, did I wake you? I figured I'd start preparing for her return,"

"…_he told me that he wouldn't let me see you very much"_

"She'll be coming home soon"

"…_.I'm going to be right beside you the whole time."_

"It's never too early…to prepare, I mean."

"…_you always have been…."_

"What do you think she'll appreciate more?"

"_I always will be…"_

"New dresses…or a whole new room?"

"_Gil…I want you to do something for me…"_

"A new room will probably be best,"

"_Anything…."_

"It's always good to start fresh…"

"_Remind me of who I am…before he erases me…"_

"Don't you think?"

"_You're not going to disappear…I promise you that."_

Even as the match dropped to the floor, he remembered.

"_I'm afraid, Gil…"_

He always would…

"_Me too."_

And so…it began...But... he was ready this time.

_"I'm going to take care of you...No matter what..."_

* * *

Ok...so I know its been a horribly long time, but I have a good excuse, I've been in Japan for like 4 months on study abroad and its been crazy LOL (Ok so maybe thats not a good enough excuse). This chapter was actually part of a much larger one, and I just extended this half a little because the original is much longer and I can't edit the whole thing all togther. So consider this a long overdue "interlude" before the plot picks back up. So...I hope this will suffice until I can get out the other half.

BTW, I will be fast forwarding time in the next chapter by like two months. So be prepared. :D

Missed you guys!

Sending out love. As always thanks for reading

-Rage.


	19. Seeing Smoke and Mirrors

**Remember: TWO Months have passed in this chapter :D**

_Disclaimer: I do not own PH_

* * *

**XXX Seeing Smoke and Mirrors XXX**

"_What happened to your eye?"_

"_Its nothing, just a scratch. Here, I made your favorite."_

"…"

"…"

"…_I've been hurting you again…"_

"_You haven't done anything to me."_

"_Even when you say that…It's still my hands that did it...just like last time…and the time before that-"_

"_Stop it. What did I tell you about talking like that?"_

"…"

"_Don't turn away from me…There's no reason for you to be in tears right now..."_

"…_I can't help it…"_

"_I don't want to see you crying about this. Understand?"_

"_...Yes."_

"_Your eyes are too beautiful to have tears in them every morning."_

"…_Sorry…"_

"_We won't have any of that either - no more apologies. Ok?"_

"…_Ok."_

"_Oz, look at me….Yes, that's better. How are you feeing this morning?"_

"…_."_

"…_Oz?"_

"…_.No particular way, I guess….. Has it snowed yet?"_

"_A little, not enough for snow boots, though."_

"…_Must be pretty out there."_

"_I'll take you outside so you can see it for yourself. It will be good for you to get some sunlight."_

"_No, not today…. today's not a good day. Tomorrow…maybe."_

"…_Alright…whenever you're ready, then. There's no rush."_

"_Must be cold out though…"_

"_umh."_

"…_."_

"…_."_

"_Gil…tell me the truth…how often does he hit you?"_

"…_Oz, we went over this…"_

"_No, because you never tell me the truth, you never tell me anything…you lie to me everyday…and expect me not to…."_

"_hush…Oz, I need you to stop crying like this…just for today, no tears…please."_

**OOO**

Everyone was dead.

Somewhere…a newborn screeched helplessly.

And that's how he knew…that there was still time.

There was so much blood on that checkered floor that nowhere he ran went unmarked. Warm crimson footprints appeared in zigzag patterns, in long streaks, and in overlapping piles of…insane failure.

Because that's what it meant to run in circles. That's what it meant to be too late.

He was responsible for every slippery red drop that he stepped in, because every drop was equivalent to every moment that he wasn't there to protect them.

But still, he searched for it, the source of that heartbreaking cry. It was a cry that came from lungs that were half the length of his index finger.

Lungs he helped create…

And as long as he heard it…that meant there was still time.

He ran desperately after the sound, slipping in the blood so many times that it began to color his clothes. Besides the time it took to get up from the floor, the only time he stopped running was to try and locate the direction the cry echoed out from, or when he reached dead-ends of long winding halls.

Most of all, he'd stop to add to the sad cries with his own screams of…insane frustration.

Because that's what it meant to run in circles…and waste so much time…

And finally, a door came into his vision, a clean door with a bright light behind it. That was it. The baby was behind that door; _his_ baby.

He ran up to it, hand about to reach the knob. And just like that, the cries cut off sharply.

_No…there was still time. I had time…_

- But not enough time it seemed. Because proof of his failure showed itself in the form of new blood; blood flowing from under the clean door, adding to the red puddles beneath his feet. He backed up, looking down at the red river coming toward him…shaking his head in disbelief.

_Why?_

-Yes, _why…._ why was it that he could never seem to get to that door in time?

**-::::::::::-**

He woke with a start, almost leaping up. Cold sweat ran down his temples and slipped down the back of his neck, almost as fast as those images played out in his head -always the same images from the same dream, always with the same conclusion. But because it was the same, it prompted him to begin his usual routine. First the oil lamp was quietly turned on, and then the blankets checked, of course.

He got on his knees and gently pulled them back. He checked the sheets near his lover. Smoothing them out carefully without causing too much of a disturbance as he shifted his weight on the bed. Just like the night before, and the weeks before that –there was nothing.

Still crisp

Still white.

No blood.

And to him, that's all that mattered.

Naturally, his eyes skimmed the shape of the barely there bump under her silk nightdress. Just checking. Just to be sure.

He checked quickly enough that amethyst irises didn't reveal themselves from behind tired lids. He was lucky indeed, because he fixed the covers back fast enough that she didn't start shivering from being uncovered. If she did, well… that would be more unacceptable than his nightly behavior.

With slippers on his feet, lit candle in hand, robe tied tight, out the room he went. Every window in the house was checked and rechecked. The doors locked and relocked. The curtains closed tight in every room. Every closet inspected, bathrooms scanned, ballroom investigated, and the kitchen was circled several times. Mostly because he was unsure if he was the one who left out the honey or if someone else did…

Oh yes, he remembered, it must have been Alice. She also liked roaming around in the middle of the night, but it was for a different purpose – to binge eat at godforsaken hours.

The thought calmed him down considerably.

When her cravings started, he'd find her innocently/guiltily feasting away in the pantry. Yes, not at the table like normal people, but in the pantry under the corner shelves. …with the lights off… dipping pickled ham and hot peppers into a bowl of honey.

The first few times he was actually startled, nervous to uncover the source of the wild chomping sounds emitting from the darkest space in the kitchen. And she was equally startled, never considering that she would actually be caught in such a situation.

Always with her mouth full.

Always with wide pretty eyes.

But really now, how could she even think she _wouldn't_ be caught, when the moment she would get up from bed he would notice.

"_I'm going to the bathroom," _she'd lie, then, she'd be gone for a half an hour.

Now he never has to question where she's off too. He just beats her to her destination, bringing her "real food" as soon as she starts tossing and turning in bed.

The thought brought a smile to his lips as he sat down at the table and took the jar into his hands. He looked at it with amused eyes. Until he realized that this was one of the nights that he didn't notice her tossing and turning, didn't even notice her _get up_. He had been in such a deep sleep, a dangerous sleep…

A shiver crept through him and the smile faded completely. Eyes glazing when he considered the reason he was down there in the first place.

He put the honey away, slowly making his way back to the entrance hall. Before he ascended the stairs he looked back at the main door. He walked over and sighed deeply before he checked the locks again. His hand lingered on the deadbolt…even after he was alerted to the fact that he was not alone.

"…Who are you trying to keep out?"

"I'm not sure exactly… Old demons, I suppose."

"Break, you must stop obsessing over this. It happened once, and that was it."

"I'm highly aware of that, Miss Sharon…but don't you think one time is enough?"

"Of course it is. But I'm not sure which occurrence you're referring to."

"…"

"What happened last month has nothing to do with what happened 50 years ago…"

"It doesn't matter if they're not related. I can't ignore the fact that someone was in this house. And if I hadn't come back when I did…"

"She wasn't injured, she was simply startled-"

He cut her off sharply, beginning to walk toward her, quiet temper on the rise, "There were wet footprints leading to the bedroom, and I found her crying in the closet afraid to even breathe. I think that's more than a reason to be a little cautious."

"Cautious or paranoid? The incident has not repeated itself since then. And even though she was holding that letter we know for a fact that it wasn't Oz…For god sake, the poor boy hasn't left the house in two months."

"I never said I was still accusing him. Actually, I would have felt better if it was _him_, at least then I'd know who to look out for…."

"Break, you're allowing your past to consume you. She's safe, happy, and healthy. And you're doing more than enough to keep her protected."

"…"

"Go back to bed. You'll be late for work if you don't get enough sleep. You are _going_ to work aren't you?"

"Possibly."

She shook her head as if she were giving up on him, retreating up the stairs. And after a moment or two, he followed behind her. He entered his bedroom. Alice was still fast asleep, breathing lightly. He stood in the doorway and watched her, wiping the length of his face with his palm before walking over and climbing back in bed.

**XXX**

"_Why are you up here? Where's Gilbert?"_

"_He still asleep. I…I made you breakfast."_

"…"

"…"

"_You must take me for a fool…"_

"_I don't know what you mean-"_

"_You didn't make this. I don't even have to taste it to know the difference. This is his cooking."_

"_I…um…"_

"_Why doesn't he want to see me?"_

"…"

"_Take me to him. I want to see him."_

"_Master, you know I'm not allowed to do that."_

"_He's trying to hide his wounds from me, isn't he?"_

"…"

"_What wound is he hiding, Martha?"_

"…"

"_Tell me. I order you to tell me."_

"…_. He's suffering from a few minor fractures… Nothing too serious."_

**-:::::::::-**

"You should really rest that foot. Martha can do the dishes later,"

"…"

When he received no reply he awkwardly cleared his throat, "So, how does he look this morning?" Oscar sipped his coffee at the table; face mostly hidden behind the open newspaper, ankle resting on his knee.

"I don't know. I sent Martha up there instead," Gilbert shifted his weight to his good foot, the foot without the broken toes, continuing to wash the dishes slowly- trying not to think about the rare opportunity he gave up to see the boy.

"Is it a good idea to send her alone?"

He felt mildly irritated to hear the man's question. If anyone knew Oz's various states it was Gilbert. He knew when it was safe and when it wasn't. But the irritation was very mild, very short lived; then again, it was hard to be very "anything" these days.

"It's unusual for him to wake up and not be himself. She'll be fine if she doesn't stay in there too long," he placed the last dish in the drying rack.

Still facing the sink, he pulled a cigarette from his front pocket, eyes unreadable and roaming somewhere outside. He always looked to the window when there was nothing worth viewing in the room, nothing worth focusing on. Maybe it was becoming a bad habit…maybe it wasn't.

"That doctor will be here today."

"…Who?" Gilbert asked with minimal interest, very minimal.

Oscar peered at Gilbert over the top of the newspaper, expression boarding minor concern, "I told you about him, John Thomas. The one Rufus introduced me to," he turned a page.

"hm. Should I clean up the west wing, then."

Oscar snickered, "Don't bother," he shook the newspaper a bit to straighten it out, "He'll end up destroying it again anyway," he concluded.

Gilbert absently stared out the window; smoke clouds mixing with the boring wintery scenery in front of his eyes. It was too early for snow, but there it was.

Finally, his mouth moved again, smoke coming out with every word, "There won't be anything he can do."

Oscar clicked his tongue, "Will you try to have a little more faith, the man's an expert."

Gilbert almost laughed- almost, "On what?"

"Various things," another page was turned.

"You've called every doctor in the city, and they all failed like I told you they would. Even a Pandora doctor can't fix this. We just have to wait it out...I've been telling you that for months."

"I don't think we have time to wait it out. I'm worried about you both. Can't you see that he's getting more violent?"

_You think I don't know that_, Gilbert thought lightly before he took note of how long Martha's been gone.

Not good.

He died out his cigarette and finally brought his eyes back into the house, away from the frigid scenery.

Oscar's voice interrupted his departure from the kitchen. Although, it was less of a departure, more of a limp, "By the way, Break's been asking about you. He really wants to meet with you soon."

"Tell him I don't have time."

"Are you still upset about what happened? It's no reason to shut him out like this, he already apologized."

"…"

"He only wants to help."

"Exactly. He only wants to help himself, he couldn't care less about Oz."

"You know that's not true, Gilbert."

"He's crossed the line with me too many times. I'm sick of his accusations. Especially since I was with Oz that whole day, almost every minute. Break completely undermines the amount of time I spend watching over him."

"Can you blame him for being suspicious, though?…I mean, she was holding the letter."

"We know how the letter ended up there. Jack coerced Martha into sending it for him, it was only a coincidence that she was reading it at that moment."

Oscar shrugged and nodded begrudgingly, as if to say _you have a good point_.

"Its funny…he was the one who told Oz to 'write her a letter' if he wanted to communicate with her. All of a sudden it's a problem."

"It wasn't your everyday letter, Gilbert. It was pretty fierce if I remember correctly."

"Regardless of what it said, a letter can't harm anyone. And whoever was in the house obviously didn't harm her either. Frankly, I don't understand why Break reacted like that,"

And he didn't understand, Oz had done much more horrible things to her in the past, and Break didn't react half as bad as he did this time around.

"Yeah…I can't say I haven't wondered about that too. I've never seen him so stormy before. And about Alice to boot, ha-ha, and all this time I thought they hated each other. They have a weird friendship…those two."

"Yeah…" he decided not to be the one who told him the truth about "those two." Even Gilbert didn't know anymore. Maybe he didn't care. Yeah…that was probably it- he didn't care at all, actually.

"Hey, you don't suppose they could actually be together-"

"_Wait. _Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Gilbert didn't answer; instead, he used his crutch to hobble quickly from the kitchen, heading to the stairs, moving up them as fast as he could. He hurriedly took out the keys to the west wing of the house, almost dragging himself down the hall until he reached the last door leading to his destination. The screaming didn't cease, and he quickly approached the source.

"Put it down," he said sternly to the boy/man who held the ceramic teacup in the air. Instead of following the order, he hurled the cup into the wall, causing yet another scream to erupt from Martha who was ducking down against the wall where he threw it. It only added to the numerous other broken dishes that he had already flung against the wall that morning.

"Good morning, Gilbert," Jack said with a big smile.

Gilbert pointedly ignored him, helping Martha up from the floor.

"Why did you stay up here? I told you to drop off the food and go," he scolded her.

"But he told me…he was fine and then all of a sudden…and he kept asking me questions," she said, words as broken and disheveled as the broken dishes on the floor.

She wiped the blood away from the new cut on her cheek, looking the amused blond up and down with disgusted confusion. Her expression twisted further when Jack's sudden sputtering turned into full blown hysterical laugher, pointing at her and holding his stomach in deep gut clenching chuckles, "You silly _wench_…so incredibly naïve. Do you know how terribly stupid you are?"

She looked down sadly, "Go down stairs and get cleaned up," Gilbert advised her.

"Yes, get out, you swine of a woman," Jack added, nastily, laughter dying down to nothing.

She left slowly…bewilderment evident in her lost gaze.

"Lock the door behind you," Gilbert called after her. When he looked back at Jack the man had moved a few steps away from him, both hands suddenly clasped behind his back.

"What are you hiding?" the raven asked calmly.

Jack simply smiled at him. And suddenly, Gilbert heard a sickening sound - something wet dripping quickly onto the floor. The sound made Jack's smile widen.

Blood. Gilbert was in no mood.

It was the one thing that really got to him, the one thing that really made him angry. And Jack knew that, that's why he tried to do it as often as possible. Gilbert could accept Jack hitting him, but not destroying Oz's body. No, he couldn't accept that at all.

He closed the space between them, seizing "Jack" and very carefully wrestling him to the floor, ignoring the pain that sparked in his foot from the sudden movements. He flipped him over onto his stomach and held him down lightly with his knee pressed into the space between his lower shoulder blades. He snatched the piece of broken plate away from him and tossed it across the room.

Oz's wrist bled dark crimson, but the cuts weren't severe.

"Don't touch me! I hate when you put your filthy hands on me!" Jack groaned into the floor.

"It can't be helped. You force me to treat you like this."

Jack cranked his neck to the side, trying to look at Gilbert as best as he could.

"Gilbert, you're looking unusually well this morning. Minus the limp, of course," he smiled, still breathing heavy from the struggle. Proud of the number he pulled on Gilbert's foot with the heavy chair leg last night.

"Do I?" Gilbert asked, tone lukewarm, half sarcastic-mostly uncaring.

"Yes, you look _too well_ actually-" Jack's expression fell suddenly, looking like the life left his body for a moment, eyes widening,"-I want to change that by the end of the day."

Gilbert couldn't blink away the boredom in his gaze, "Yeah, uh-huh. And next you're going to tell me how much you hate me and that you want me to suffer, right?" He released Jack and stood, "You know what else isn't new? How tired I am of your goddamn antics. Hurry up and get off the floor."

**OOO**

It was the fifth time she looked back, but this time she actually stopped walking all together.

"Alice…hello?" Sharon waved her hand in front of the brunette to get her attention.

"Huh?" she snapped out of her daze and looked back at Sharon, breath coming out in a small cold cloud.

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing…I just have this feeling…"

"Are you feeling sick? Maybe we should sit for a few minutes."

"Oh," Alice was surprised by the assumption, automatically smoothing her gloved hand down her small stomach reassuringly, "I'm ok. Its not a feeling like that," she smiled and pushed the odd thoughts away. It was Tuesday after all, and she didn't want to spoil their only day out together with her curious behavior.

They continued to walk down the snow-covered street. Light snowflakes leisurely floated around them, taking their time landing wherever they wished. It wasn't truly a spontaneous decision to go into town that day. Alice and Sharon had made it a routine to get out of the house to go shopping for clothes and have fun; choosing Tuesday as the day they would go since the crowds were low early in the week.

They walked from store to store, picking out things for themselves and the baby of course…

"But the black one is dreary, and look how clunky it is..." Alice said to the storeowner. The man was steadfast on trying to sell her the stylish black baby carriage with the steel frame. Instead, Alice walked over to a smaller carriage, one made of light brown wicker with an inside that had a comfortable off white cushion. It was brighter, simple, and looked far easier to move than the heavy version he wanted to sell her.

"mmm…I don't know about that one, that's last season's model. Certainly not as popular as _this one_ is," the man explained.

Alice rolled her eyes, "I'm not interested in what's _popular_. I need something _functional_. Anyway, we're just browsing today," she said, trying not to get too frustrated by his tactics.

Soon, Sharon was rushing her over to the other side of the store to look at a variety of toys and small handmade blankets. Alice examined each thing; explaining to Sharon which things she liked and other things she would never buy.

Alice noticed the baby bottles; the faint winter daylight sparkled through them since they were close to the window. She grabbed one and examined it for a few seconds before…_that _happened again. The bottle dropped to the floor, rolling a little ways away from her. But she didn't think about that as she hissed and covered her eyes with her hands.

"Um… Is she alright?" she heard the storeowner say from somewhere far behind her. Sharon's hands were around her shoulders in an instant.

"Alice?"

"Did you see that just now?" the brunette asked quickly, almost frantic.

Sharon looked around, "See what?"

"The flash of light...It was like…that time in the bedroom," she said the last part distantly, memories of that day playing out wildly in her head.

"I didn't see anything," she sighed nervously and rubbed her shoulders, "You're tired" she said, trying to convince herself more than Alice. "We should head home. Break will kill me if he found out I had you on your feet all afternoon."

She kept her arms around the girl as they walked out of the store. And again for the umpteenth time Alice was stalled on the sidewalk, eyes scattering all over the place.

"Alice…"

"Sorry. I'm fine, really. Let's go."

As they walked she chanced one last glance behind her before continuing on.

**-::::::::::-**

He swarmed into headquarters like a snow flurry. It was early afternoon and he was in a hurry to leave as quickly as he came. It made people dizzy to see him zip past them through the halls. But that didn't stop agents from asking him random questions.

"Excuse me, sir, what should I do with the documents-"said an agent.

"Put them in my mailbox," Break said, looking back briefly before heading through the double doors.

Another agent called to him, "Sir, about the second contractor-"

"Run one last test on him before Thursday, if the results look promising report it to me," he kept walking.

"Sir, I need your signature on this order," another man said. Break took it from him and signed it quickly before he was on the move again.

In the middle of opening his office door Liam came running up to him, letter in hand- one of which Break paid little mind to.

"I'm glad I caught you," he said slightly out of breath.

"Any updates?" the white haired man asked, stepping into his office with his closest colleague then shut the door.

"Plenty," Liam noticed that the man was half listening. Already he was leaning over the desk with one hand supporting him, the other hand shifting through papers quickly while he squinted his eyes to read the one's he picked up. Almost without thinking he was scribbling his signature on particular documents on his desk. Never once sitting down, never once looking lost in the massive stack of files and paperwork that had been waiting patiently for his attention.

"Are you planning on leaving early again today?"

"Yes. What I'm planning on cooking tonight is going to take some time to prepare. Why do you ask?" Break naturally looked up at him for a split second before looking back down at the document in hand.

"That's one of the updates," Liam walked over and held the letter out to his superior.

Break looked at him quizzically before he took the letter. Unfolding it in a hurry before reaching for his reading glasses hanging from the thin chain around his neck. He quickly read the words out loud in a quiet passionless mumble.

_X. Break,_

_It has been brought to our attention that there has been a sharp decline in your current productivity. We have considered this to be a direct result of the amount of absentees that you have accumulated in recent times. Because of this, we urgently request that you resume the necessary attendance requirement for the sake of remaining in good standing with your current position. If this matter remains unresolved, we will be forced to reevaluate your capacity to continue as the Head Officer of Pandora's Research and Study Department._

_Regards_

_Pandora Board of Directors._

As soon as the last word was uttered the paper was crumpled lazily and thrown in the overflowing wastepaper basket. Break continued looking through the other documents, speaking at the same time.

"Was that the only thing?"

"No…but aren't you worried about that?"

"I knew it was coming sooner or later. But I can't think about that right now" he looked at the clock on his wall and then flipped to the next paper in the stack, "They'll be home soon…I don't have much time to waste here."

Liam already knew he was talking about Alice and Sharon. Of course the man would want to get home before them, so he could check the house for intruders, cook Alice dinner and make sure she was resting instead of trying to compete with him in the kitchen. So he quickly told him the rest.

"People are getting impatient, Break. They're unhappy that we haven't made any progress with the contract transfer experiments. In yesterday's meeting everyone was beginning to talk about changing the research direction completely."

"When aren't they impatient?" he said under his breath.

"Also, Rufus volunteered to oversee all contractor activities, and all the agents thought it was a good idea."

"Meaning?"

"He'll be deciding what to do with the three illegal contractors in the laboratory," this statement made Break look up at him.

"We already decided what to do with them. They're to be executed by the close of the week if they refuse to summon their chains. Why on earth would we need anybody to oversee that?"

"He thinks they can be useful for future research. He's willing to fund their extended stay here."

Break looked back at the document in his hand dismissively, "No."

"That's the problem, everyone already agreed to it-"

"If he wants to _volunteer _for something he can carry out the executions. Don't get me wrong Liam; I certainly try to exercise fairness in all possible situations. But my decision on this is overriding the majority rule. We cannot keep those contractors alive any longer. Not only are they impractical to us, but what if they do release their chains one day and catch us off guard. It would be utter chaos…. especially if they escape back into town."

"I'll be sure to tell him."

"Thank you. And if he wants to see it in writing I can do that too," the white haired man took his glasses off and picked up a large stack of papers; a direct implication that he'd be working from home for the fifth time that week.

"If anyone ask, I'm in a private meeting for the rest of the day."

Liam nodded with understanding and walked toward the door to open it for the man since his hands were full.

Liam opened the door partially before stopping to address the man, "Break…I'm concerned. Ever since that day someone was in the house…you haven't been focused. I don't think you've been sleeping much either. Is something else going on?"

Break's expression lost its normal apathetic configuration, features displaying a sort of surprise knowing that his sleeplessness was becoming evident.

He looked away and spoke softly, "She's my first priority. Until I'm completely convinced that she's out of harms way I will watch over her day and night if I have to."

He moved to pass Liam but the man stopped him once more, "Remember what I told you…if you need anything…"

"You're already doing enough. Believe me," Break said gratefully before leaving.

**-::::::::::-**

They didn't use words as a greeting anymore. Their lips were just energetic magnets that rushed to connect together and relay their "hellos" that way instead. It was automatic. She saw him at the kitchen sink. He turned to see her pause at the doorway. And in a blink of an eye they closed the space between them. As they attacked each other's lips he began removing her dark gray winter coat; only separating to give her a visual inspection before kissing again.

The amount of relief they shared dragged their kiss out way past the three-minute mark. However, since they were in the kitchen they couldn't get _too_ carried away. Not to mention that the water he had waiting in the basin would get cold and he wanted to have her sit so she could soak her feet while eating the late lunch he made her.

Currently, she was wiggling her toes in the perfectly warmed water, humming lightly as she went between nibbling on a small hand sandwich to focusing on the needlepoint that she had been diligently working on over the last few weeks. It was going to be a lilac and white baby bonnet.

She was quite good at needlepoint, actually. Those skills far surpassed her knitting abilities, but Sharon was still driven to get her to pick up either sewing or crocheting if Alice refused to go back to knitting. Break would always hear the girl telling Alice that having just one skill wouldn't suffice.

Break stood a little ways away from her. Chopping tomatoes and broccoli at the counter.

"You didn't tell me if you saw anything worth buying today…"

"I did," she said, happily. Trying to swallow down her food so she could speak more clearly, "But I didn't have enough time to decide on anything."

"Why not?"

Before Alice could speak Sharon entered the kitchen and spoke for her, "She started seeing that strange flash again," she said, handing Alice the lilac wool-silk thread before sitting down.

Upon hearing that, his brow knitted, wrist slowing down its chopping motion for a few seconds before picking up his usual pace again.

"Really?" he tried to sound normal, "Was it similar to the light you saw in the room that day?" he looked back to observer her reaction. Hesitation was in her gaze. When their eyes locked she looked away quickly before nodding. She was uncomfortable admitting that…and that's all the evidence he needed.

Whatever that light was…it was not normal, it was not good. And he damn sure would be accompanying them to town the next time they went. No matter if he was imposing on "girl time" or not.

His tone was still light, "You didn't see the flash, Miss Sharon?"

"No. I think it's a symptom of her condition. Women's bodies react in different ways when they're expecting."

Break remained silent after that, although thoughts zipped through his head at lighting speed and intensity; his movements in the kitchen were controlled and calm. He was only half paying attention to Sharon's change of topic as she began explaining that they should start planning Alice's baby shower, and talking about which room in the house will become the baby's room, and what color it should be.

Break walked over with the kettle, refilling everyone's teacup with hot water, and then checking the water temperature of Alice's foot basin; it was still very warm. When he stood up, another servant entered the room.

"Doctor Thomas called earlier to schedule an appointment with Alice. I told him that Tuesday was no good since you're always in town that day. Wednesdays fine right?"

Break and Alice looked at one another, before Alice nodded to him.

"Wednesday's fine. Thank you for letting us know," Break said to the servant before the girl left the room.

**XXX**

"Can I help you?"

He could see that the man's eyes immediately went to the freshly swollen corner of his cheek, his foreign stare briefly catching on the small bandage over his eye as well.

A friendly smile appeared on his face, "Good afternoon, I'm Doctor John Thomas. Oscar is a colleague of mine and he asked me to-"

"Yeah, he already told me. Just so you know, today really isn't the best. But if you don't mind the state he's in then you're welcome to come in."

The man nodded, "I don't mind at all."

Gilbert shrugged, as if saying _ok…you asked for it_, and then Gilbert turned his head and yelled into the house, "Martha! Put some tea on please!"

"Yes, right away!" called a distant feminine voice.

"Follow me," Gilbert limped into the main hall with his crutch. Sometimes he forgot they were no longer at the summer home. Now his trip to where Oz was was much longer given the massive size of the place.

The doctor followed silently behind him. And soon they were ascending the stairs and walking to the left. They reached a door. And before Gilbert got the keys ready he took a candle from the small table beside the door and lit it. He could see the confusion in the man's face, wondering why a candle was needed in the middle of the day.

Even though he thought it was pointless to tell the man small details, he began explaining the circumstances for the sake of placing the situation into a better context.

"I keep him in this section of the house. We boarded up all the windows for reasons that I'm sure you're smart enough to figure out," he said, unlocking the door with a bored sigh, "Right this way," he said in dull monotone, stepping back so that the man could go first.

The doctor walked past him, turning around and watching Gilbert lock the door behind him. It was cold in that hall, and when Gilbert began leading again the candlelight swayed back and fourth and gradually revealed the eerie hallway.

In some spots the decorative wallpaper had been ripped away, leaving jagged white gaps and hanging strips in its disturbed state. There were holes too, forcing the wooden wall supports to reveal themselves. Crumpling plaster nestled dustily in the empty spaces in the wall. And there were at least three blood-encrusted half handprints in random spots near the doorframes.

"Pardon the mess," he droned, while stepping over the pile of swept up wall plaster, "Most of the time I allow him to roam this whole wing freely, there isn't much trouble he can get into since we emptied out all the rooms - Watch your step," he pointed to the broken chair that was tossed in the middle of the hallway, "But some days I have no choice but to restrain him. Sometimes I do it so I can get sleep, but mostly so he's not trying to hurt himself - Here we are," he said stopping at the last door of the wing.

He could tell the doctor was apprehensive about going inside, "Don't worry" Gilbert looked back at the door and frowned, speaking bluntly "He's strapped to the bed," with that, he opened the door.

There was already an oil lamp on in the room. The dim lighting helped the doctor see the blond hair on the fluffy pillows. His wrist had bandages and thick fabric tied around them that kept him attracted to the bedpost, limiting his movement considerably. The covers were kicked off of him, and soon, hard green eyes were slowly cast in his direction.

"Who's this?" the velvety voice asked.

Gilbert limped over to the corner and brought the two wooden chairs forward, "What's your name again?" Gilbert asked, with less interest than was deemed polite.

"Doctor Thomas"

The raven put his crutch on the floor and sat down, lighting a cigarette. His back curved forward with his elbows on his thighs, hands loosely dangling between his knees. He made sure to take a few long puffs before he spoke, "Doctor Thomas…this is Jack."

"Nice to meet you, Jack," the doctor said kindly, taking the seat next to Gilbert.

"Another doctor?" Jack huffed out a small laugh, looking back up at the ceiling "None of you know when to stop, do you? Idiots," he shook his head lightly against the pillows.

Gilbert's expression remained apathetic, not even batting an eyelash at the harsh language he knew all too well. If anything his eyes may have gotten a bit more critical, but that was it. "Anyway" Gilbert started, "I have to cook dinner soon, so is there anything particular you want to know about him?"

"Yes, a few things actually," the man took out his notebook, and a pen "In terms of the contract, has anything been happening around that?"

"It moved recently. About a day ago…It moves backward now."

If it were possible to look surprised and unsurprised at the same time then the doctor's eyes would have been a perfect example of this, "Oscar didn't explain that part to me."

Gilbert blew some smoke out, and looked at him with a tired stare, "That's because I haven't made anyone aware of that fact."

"I see." Doctor Thomas jolted some notes down, "When's the first time you noticed this?"

"Three months ago. I-"

"Have you met Alice yet?" Jack interrupted rudely, head turned toward the doctor again.

The doctor blinked, "No, I can't say that I have."

Jack smiled, "That's an interesting choice of words."

"How so?"

"If you _can't_ say you have, does that mean if you were _allowed_ to say you did, that you would tell me?"

"No. I've yet to meet her personally. I have heard about her though."

Jack's expression flattened, "You're a liar," he stated simply, "And I don't think I like you very much. You're almost as unpleasant to be around as Gilbert."

Gilbert raised a brow, "Are you done?" he asked Jack with a burned-out tone.

"Yes. Please carry on with your pathetic conversation," he said mildly, turning his head toward the opposite wall.

Gilbert cut his eyes away from Jack, "Like I said, the seal moved three months ago, then for the second time a few days ago."

"May I have a look at it?" the doctor asked.

Gilbert got up and walked toward the bed. Jack instantly began to struggle against his touch. "Bastard! Unhand me!" he yelled "Doctor, you should see the depraved things he tries to do with this body-"

"Shut-up. Stop acting like a child," Gilbert reprimanded, as he struggled to unbutton "Jack's" shirt. When he was able to get the last button undone Jack spit at him, catching the raven on the cheek. Gilbert didn't even flinch, just wiped it away; no evidence of shock or anger in his body language.

The raven limped back to his seat, "He's all yours" Gilbert uttered, gesturing loosely toward the bed as he fiddled with another cigarette.

The doctor walked over, peering down at Oz's smaller chest, avoiding looking the boy/man in the eyes. The seal was fixed at the halfway point.

"Where was it before?"

"It was seventy-five percent complete three months ago. If it were a real clock then when it regressed the first time it would have been by about three minutes…The regression was much bigger this time around," Gilbert said.

"hum…is it Ok if I take a photograph, I'd like to keep this in my records."

"A photo?" Gilbert questioned.

"Yes, it will only take a minute."

The raven shrugged indifferently, not bothering to watch the man take the object out of his bag. He adjusted it in front of his face and angled it down toward Oz's chest before the room lit up with a sharp flash. "Jack's" eyes fluttered from the sudden change of lighting.

"Thank you. I think that will be all today," the doctor sounded pleased as he put the camera back into his bag along with his notebook. This caught Gilbert's attention.

"You're not going to ask about Jack?"

The man opened his mouth to speak, looking a bit startled by Gilbert's question.

"You can't tell me that Oscar already filled you in on everything. Even Oscar doesn't know all the details."

"I…I was already aware of Jack's past possessions of Oz. I came here with the understanding that they've taken a turn for the worst. Was I wrong in assuming that the contract was a root cause?"

"No, I suppose not," Gilbert feigned agreement, suspicion heavy in his tone.

"I told you he was a liar…"Jack laughed darkly "He knows what that _ridiculous surrogate_ did to Alice to make her power disappear…and I know he did something. Didn't he?" he directed the question straight at the man.

"To be honest, I may have heard a little something along those lines…but I don't feel comfortable revealing that here. It would be better if you could meet me at my office in town, where I have the documents secured."

"What makes you think I would risk bringing him out of the house for that?"

"He seems rational when he wants to be…if he wants to know about her so bad maybe he'd agree to acting appropriate for a day so you both can hear this information. It may be beneficial."

"In what way?" Gilbert asked.

The man leaned over and whispered to him, "What I know might help you remove the contract faster."

Gilbert's eyes widened by a small fraction, "Which day?" he asked.

"Next Tuesday," the doctor said before a small smile graced his lips.

**XOXOX**

Somewhere, in a dimly lit sitting room, two men sat beside a glowing fire. One man's back was tight and straight like an iron rod; before him a table that held the cold tea he never touched; next to it a camera that he paired down at with pure guilt in his gaze. The urge to destroy it and the evidence it contained caused him to wring his hands together in his lap as he glanced over at the other man tensely. On the other hand, the man beside him sat leisurely, fingers wrapped around the warm handle of his teacup as he closed his eyes with victory.

"You always bring such wonderful news to me," said the relaxed one, placing the saucer and teacup in his lap.

"I'm glad you're pleased sir. However-"

"However, you've come with something more to say to me."

"Y-yes..I-"

"Your conscience is catching up to you, is it? Or do you want me to find another to do this job, so that your life is no longer on the line."

"I simply cannot support this endeavor anymore. I've come to beg for a stop to this. Its cruel and inhuman."

"And it's also not that simple. You're quickly forgetting who it was that salvaged you from the rubble of humiliation and got your work accredited and recognized by the organization. Without me, you would have staved to death seven years ago, and your research would have wasted away with you. Or did you forget that?"

"I've never forgotten."

"Good. I hope you never do forget. What you're doing now is but a small repayment of my generosity. You should be thankful that I'm not asking for more."

"Please. I'll do anything else beside this...I don't want to clean up such _young_ blood."

"If the experiment fails, the blood will simply be yours to clean later, and they'll be much more to clean up with it. Shouldn't you be used to it, though? It comes with your day job."

It was a joke that only the calm man laughed at, he placed his tea cup on the table and then walked over to the man and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "You're going to complete this work for me, and when you do you'll realize why it was worth it. This little experiment will make you famous."

The pensive man looked down guiltily, wringing his hands tighter.

"Stop getting your emotions involved in this...you'll find it easier that way. You're dismissed."

Quickly, the addressed man got up and walked toward the door, but paused at the question he received.

"Before you go...did you find out what day I can expect everyone to be there?"

The other man's lips pressed together, looking at the door dejectedly for a moment before answering, "Tuesday."

"Excellent. Be sure that this little meeting takes place, make sure they all show up…even if you have to drag them out of their homes," he chuckled lightly at that, "We may not get another chance like this."

The disheartened man said a quick "yes sir", before leaving. The other man smiled and took another sip of his tea. He felt good. Great even.

Why? Because he knew he had this…tendency; a fairly selfish one. The kind that everyone could relate to but only the brave dared to act on. Frankly speaking, he liked to _take_. Mostly he'd take information, but only the type that he could benefit from. He didn't give a rat's tail about sob stories, and he would never consider himself a "good listener" someone who enjoys keeping their ears tuned in to the sound of someone else's voice. No not at all - only if… it was _useful_. Oh, and lately everything he heard, everything he collected was useful. So much so that he could use it to actively take _more_ things; no…take things apart. All the while using the left over fragments to build up himself. And the best part was that he would use the up coming losses as his own gain. And there will be losses, surly there would be.

* * *

Ok...here we go.

Thanks for reading

-Rage


	20. Brisk

Hello again :)

_Disclaimer: I do not own PH_

* * *

**XXXBriskXXX**

_**-::::::: One month before :::::::-**_

And the whole time he thought the hardest part would be breaking through the balcony door. Never had he imagined that breaking in would be the least of his problems; the smaller issue after his arrival in the home. Silently, he stared at her, mesmerized. And for the first time he could openly appreciate her beauty in the context in which it _should be_ appreciated-aesthetically- all business and professionalism put aside.

He readied himself, creeping up to the door; grateful for every slow second that she took getting dressed. Bathrobe partially open so the still-flat-stomach she had was in full view. The distress in her face only increased as her eyes took in the contents of whatever she was reading. He didn't know what that paper was…he didn't care. And as much as he wanted to stay there, and perhaps go up to her and touch her skin...He knew he could not.

Time was wasting. She refused to put the paper down even when she began to put on a white loose fitting housedress. Once her robe was shed and the dress was up over her head, he took his chance.

_Snap_

The task he had just completed caught her attention, illuminating her eyes like those of cats in the dark. She clutched the letter in her hand, staring openly at the crack in the door. He froze, afraid it was all over for him. But instead of meeting her angry face, she dashed toward the closet instead…. looking for a weapon, maybe.

It was unnecessary though, because he escaped from the house without looking back.

**-::::::::-**

_Dear Alice, _

_Although time has kept us apart, my heart has always been ensnared by the thought of you. The light __brush of your satin hair, and the sound of your loving voice …I believe it has began to drive me mad_…_mad enough that I will stop at nothing to find you and bring you back to me._

**-:::::::::-**

Her eyes stayed fixed on the closet door, while shaky breaths rumbled silently through her lungs as she tried to stifle any noise she would make. She bit her bottom lip and scooted back further beyond the hanging dresses and business suits. She thought going in the closet would buy her some time to find something to protect herself and her baby with, but when nothing remotely threatening was in there she settled for curling up in the corner and not leaving the dark space.

Her stomach growled quietly, and she feared that sound would be heard, along with her heartbeat that was still loud in her ears. The letter she was reading was partially crumbled in her right hand, its words stinging her palm as she clasped it and thought of their meaning. Was it Jack that had been outside her door? And the flashing light she saw…what was it? Why was it that she thought she could still see it whenever she closed her eyes?

She didn't know how long she would have to stay in the closet, or if the person simply left. What if they were tricking her into coming out by pretending they weren't there. Whatever the case…she knew she would not move from that spot.

**-:::::::::-**

_We're connected, and therefore, we have a bright future together, you and I. But before we can live __that future I will tell you this. I must remove the obstacles that keep us apart. That person you're with, __the one who thinks he stole your heart from me…for he will never understand._

**-::::::::::-**

The rain danced around him, so soft and so cold that an autumn shiver ran in his blood, like ridged ice through thin pipes. He lifted his head, gazing at the afternoon gloom that some would call the sky. It was gray, heavy, not a sight to stare at if one were looking for more strength to go on.

Ascending the stairs to his home he smiled to himself, knowing what/who waited beyond the door; who would be surprised to see him home early at that moment. It made him feel that the sun were out, melting the ice in his blood long enough to stop the shivers that he felt as he reached the door.

Quietly, he entered through the front door. No one was in the hall. The house appeared asleep still; reluctant to wake up even though it was late in the afternoon. He put his umbrella in the holder, too excited to see his lover to bother to take off his coat. Up the carpeted stairs he went, down the hall, passing by the balcony door that he noticed was askew. A rainy puddle wet the carpet, wind rattling the glass door lightly as he approached it. He didn't think twice about blaming the unlocked door on the wind and a forgetful servant.

He shut the door and locked it, before turning back toward his bedroom. It was by chance that his gaze dropped toward the floor, eyes following the large wet footprints that lead up to the cracked door of his bedroom. His eyes widened, head turning back to look toward the balcony. It was but a moment that passed between his realization and the distance he crossed to quickly enter his bedroom.

"Alice?" he said her name tentatively, eyes scanning the room to see if he could spot her.

"Alice?" this time his voice became unsure, heart racing with every moment of silence that passed. He walked further into the room, eyes darting to the closet when he heard a small sound.

He hurried to the closet door, opening it and pushing the hanging clothes to the sides like curtains. His heart was in his stomach now, when he looked down and gazed at her, her small body tucked between a pair of his boots and an arbitrary box of random things. He got on his knees and crawled to her, a slight hiccup escaped her as she looked at him through tear stained eyes. He looked her over before bringing her into a careful relieved embrace. His body filled with fearful rage at the thought of who could have caused this.

"Who was it?" he asked her softly. But the girl could not speak, voice quivery as she wrapped her arms around him. Soon, he had carried her out of the closet, placing her on the bed where she was reluctant to unlatch herself from him, when he pulled away to look at her…he noticed a paper in her hand. He took it from her, reading it over while he reached over and picked up the phone.

He asked her if she was hurt while running his fingers through her hair, surprising himself that he could sound so very different than how he was feeling. She shook her head, but he decided to call the doctor anyway just to be sure. He got the doctor's assistant instead, leaving an urgent message before he call Liam.

Within twenty minutes Liam was at the Rainsworth mansion, gun in hand, ready to play safeguard. Doctor Thomas had arrived within the hour, looking worried as he listened to the story and did a general physical exam. Meanwhile, Sharon continued to sit with Alice in the bedroom while Break raged furiously in the hallway as he spoke to Oscar on the phone. He told the man, not asked, but _told __him_ he would be there shortly.

Everyone in the house could hear his phone rant, not knowing how to react to it since Break was never like that. He was a very even-keeled man. Even in the worst times his temper was of the calmer (dangerous?) type. Yes, his tone often dipped into the clipped sarcastic low tones, but never had he yelled to that degree before.

Poor Oscar was probably insanely confused since Break never specified the _main reason_ he was so angry about finding Alice like that. He stated the details but not the principle…and the principle would have gotten Oscar to understand.

But everyone knew that Break was not ready to tell anyone else yet...about the principle of the matter….about he and Alice's _little secret_.

**-:::::::-**

_Maybe you don't remember, but there was a time when you didn't smile, and you once told me you __understood what a smile was after you met me._

**-:::::::-**

When Oscar escorted Break into the house, Oscar's tight expression revealed the exact tone that the upcoming conversation between Gilbert and Break was going to have.

"Ah…," Oscar wiped his hand across the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Break needs to speak with you."

"What is it?" Gilbert asked, reaching across the table and pouring himself some tea.

When Break said nothing Gilbert looked back up at him, gesturing toward the chair, "Have a seat."

"No, I'd rather not. I came here to see Jack."

"Why?"

"Because he's responsible for scaring Alice half to death, and breaking into my home."

"What?"

Break almost stomped over to the man and handed him the letter. Gilbert read it over quickly. When he was done Gilbert shook his head and shrugged.

"I didn't know he sent this. But he never went to your house."

"Are you seriously covering for him, when there was evidence he was there?"Break snapped.

"What evidence? If you're referring to this letter then I wouldn't consider it evidence at all," Gilbert dismissively began drinking his tea again, signaling to Break that he was done talking. This action only caused Break to raise his voice again.

"I walked in and found her hiding in the closet! I just happened to spot wet footprints leading to the bedroom door. And from her account someone had been watching her get dressed before almost coming into the room. I will not allow you to brush this off as a coincidence that she was reading his letter the moment she realized someone was watching her."

"It wasn't Jack. If that's why you came here then you can go home now."

"Let me see him!"

"No. And I'll tell you why…" Gilbert placed his teacup on the table before looking directly at the man, anger was finally appearing in his face.

"I'm with Jack almost every moment of the day, I watch him like a hawk. While you're going about your daily business, Oz is forced to endure Jack's possession every day; living in a locked part of the house with nowhere to go. I'm assuming that this happened today, so that means I can run down where he was and what he was doing at every hour up to this very moment."

"Then how did the letter end up there!?"

"I don't know! Why don't you ask your servants-"

"But-"

"Wait, I'm not done. Every ounce of my energy goes to making sure he stays safe and out of trouble. I'll admit that I slipped up one time when he broke your windows, but that was the _only _time! So... my question to you is, do you know where _Alice_ is right now?"

The question threw Break off balance, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're so busy attempting to accuse us, I bet you don't have a clue what she's doing everyday, where she goes, or who she's with, do you?"

"...Of course-"

"Are you sure? Because if you were protecting her like I protect Oz, you wouldn't be wasting my time right now. You'd have been in the house with her when it happened, and knew it wasn't Jack who was in there."

Break opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it…looking tired and guilty suddenly.

"Face it, for all you know someone can be in there right now and you'd never know."

Oscar could no longer hold his tongue, noticing the change in Break the more Gilbert suggested that the man was inadequate at protecting people, "Gilbert…that's enough."

"No it isn't, it's _never enough_ with him. He keeps pushing and pushing until he can get the answers he wants," Gilbert turned his blazing eyes back to the man, "Well you're not getting it this time!" Gilbert stood up and pointed at the door, "Do yourself a favor and get out before you embarrass yourself further."

Break looked away from him finally, head almost hanging low as he allowed Gilbert's words to eat away at him, "Well then, I suppose I have no more business here," he mumbled.

"Break, you have to forgive his temper…he's been under a lot of stress lately, with Jack taking over and all. Things have been so bad that he even tried to set fire to the summer home...its putting a strain on all of us..."Oscar offered as an explanation, but all Break could say is "No need to explain, I understand..." before he turned to leave.

Gilbert quickly passed him and went to the front door, holding it open for the man; silently urging him to hurry up. Break never met the man's eyes when he walked out the door...heading back into the brisk autumn rain. But he did pause when Gilbert spoke one last time.

"If you're so concerned about her…learn to care for her better."

After that, the door slammed behind him.

**-:::::::::-**

_But the smile he may see on your face now, is not one that would be there without me. And for that I __think he should not forget his place, and he will learn it well, before I end his life._

_With my deepest love_

_Jack_

* * *

So, I thought I'd give my last interlude before things really pop off. The next chapter is like 80% done, I wrote it a few months back but decided to hold off cause it seemed important to do a flashback of what happened to Alice...and maybe help uncover one of our bad guys LOL.

Anyway, please brace yourself for the next one (its probably the biggest turning point in terms of revelations but not the last turning point in terms of suspense and conflict)...All I can say when you read it is try to trust me ;) LOL keep that in mind when you read it.

Thanks for reading

Rage


	21. Blending Blood and Tears

**Warning: **Graphic content.

Disclaimer: I do not own PH

* * *

**XXXBlending Blood and TearsXXX**

He thought about whiskey a lot.

The way it used to trickle down his tongue, tangy and bitter - _sharp_, as some would describe it. He missed the weightiness in his head after he downed enough to coat his stomach. And the blur his eyes would catch when he drifted back and forth between tipsy-naps.

Even the cheapest bottle of wine would do. Something red perhaps, or white would do just fine; just a sip to wet his mouth with. Maybe swish it around his teeth and breathe the potent fumes out his nostrils. It stung his nose sometimes, but it was well worth it.

Damn, what he wouldn't give for a hard drink…

He had been without alcohol for more than three months, longer than the time he had been without "Oz." And being without either one of them was leaving him feeling run down and desperate. If he _could _drink he would. The only reason he stopped completely was so he could keep a watchful eye over Jack. If it weren't for that, he would have his hands full with Oz, or at least full of liquor. And if he were lucky… he'd have both at the same time!

Gilbert shook his head to rid himself of those lewd thoughts. That mind frame was becoming more frequent as the months passed. It was then that he looked over at Jack again, the man glared back at him and Gilbert huffed and looked away. Unfortunately, the morning was dragging by.

"_Promise me you won't think like that again."_

"_Only if you promise to kiss me like that everyday…then sure."_

_"I promise"_

Gilbert broke that promise two months ago. And he was now paying the price. For the last nine to ten weeks, he shut down every thought concerning his relationship with the boy. If his mind strayed to thoughts of his peach lips, he'd calmly wash the dishes. If he began pondering on his sleepless nights in bed alone, he'd get up and start sweeping the floor.

The closest contact they shared was a peck on the cheek or forehead in the mornings before Oz's mind switched over. Beyond that, they had no physical relationship. And neither of them had been out of the house in two months.

That is, until today.

He had woken the boy bright and early, helping him get dressed and bringing him breakfast. Today was Tuesday and they would meet Doctor Thomas in town. Hopefully, he'd find out how to get rid of that seal once and for all.

Gilbert hid his suffering well, but in truth he ached for the boy's smile, his jokes, and laughter. He craved to hold him, and experience life with him outside of the mansion that had become a prison for the both of them.

Not to mention his craving for a hard drink, to help keep his mind off of the blond.

At the moment, Jack was sitting across from him in the kitchen. The man had been on his best behavior all morning. Believing that he would finally find out how to retain Alice's power, so the man was eager to leave.

He gave Gilbert another impatient look.

"He said he'd call when it was ok to go over there," Gilbert said, answering the unspoken question.

Jack snickered, "I wish he'd hurry up and call then. I can't stand looking at you for too long."

**OOO**

Sharon was sick.

A gradual cough had crawled its way into her throat, only taking two days to reach its full intensity. Then a fever sparked with it. It made Break skip work completely, bouncing between Sharon's bedside, the kitchen, and tending to Alice wherever he happened to find (place) her.

Alice hadn't seen Sharon since she became sick. Thanks to Break, she wasn't allowed to get near her, not even to say a quick hello. To make up for that Alice worked hard to crochet a pink scarf for her. It wasn't the best, but Sharon would be happy to see her practicing the skill that she spent hours teaching her.

At the moment, Alice busied herself by cleaning up the bedroom and trying on the new winter dresses that Break had bought her. The man had refused to invest in a corset to help hide her now noticeable stomach. He believed it would do more harm than good for her to wear one. Alice stifled a laugh when she recalled the small argument Break and Sharon had gotten into over it.

"_I think Alice needs a new corset, her dresses aren't fitting the way they should,"_

"_I'll swallow hot coals before I allow her to wear one of those things,"_

"_All women wear corsets to hide their condition, you know that. She'll be stared at if she doesn't,"_

"_Are you advocating crushing our baby for the sake of saving face?"_

"_Crushing?! I'll have you know that my mother wore one while she carried me, and _

_I came out just fine,"_

"_hm…I'm not so sure about that."_

"Xerxes Break_, please save your smart comments for someone else. Anyway, this doesn't solve the problem of her ill-fitting dresses,"_

"_I'll buy her bigger dresses. See, problem solved."_

And he did. The dresses were all so lovely, and Alice admired each one as she stood in the mirror and placed them against her body as if she were actually wearing them. When her hand smoothed down the fabric over her stomach, she didn't realize she was frowning until she looked back at her face.

The brunet was disappointed that she couldn't feel anything yet. No little movements, no kicking, and no "fluttery feelings" that Sharon told her she might feel - _eventually_.

Break was always laughing at her disappointment, telling her that she was "rushing the process." Still, it had been more than three months and she was eager to experience all there was to experience. She cradled the small bump that was there and closed her eyes briefly before she heard the door open.

"You're carrying small, maybe I'm not feeding you enough."

She giggle at his comment, "I can hardly finish the portions you give me. If I eat anymore than that I won't be able to fit through the door," she said, gathering some of the dresses in her hand so she could put them away.

He intersected her path and took the dresses from her, "Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. It would certainly force you to get more rest and stop over doing everything," he said, walking over to the closet to put them away.

She sat back on the bed and mulled over his words, "I don't over do things…."

"Really? What do you call this?" he gestured to the extremely clean bedroom.

"It was dirty."

"It wasn't. Because I cleaned it yesterday," he emerged from the closet and gave her a stern look that made her huff, "Please try to take it easy, love. I begin to worry when you try to do too much."

She sighed, reluctantly agreeing with him, "Alight…I'll slow down a little."

"Thank you," he smiled and walked back toward her.

"How's Sharon?"

"She's getting better. She's asleep at the moment," his expression became troubled, and Alice caught it right away.

"You have that look on your face."

"What look?"

"Like someone just ripped the stuffing out of Emily."

His laughter brought a smile to her lips. She moved over so he could sit down beside her.

"Actually, an 'all staff' meeting has been called today. I don't know what its about but I have no choice but to attend. I won't be gone long."

Alice didn't realize that her unhappiness was embedded in her expression. She had gotten too used to his constant company. When in actuality she understood that she was being extra spoiled by him.

The man had been cutting so many corners at work and she knew it was for her sake. She'd see him come home with huge piles of paperwork, and instead of going through it, he'd choose to rub her back instead, or take her out somewhere nice before pouring over the workload that was piled high in his office.

She was even guilty of watching him while he worked at home, causing his eyes to stray from the papers he was writing. On days like that, they'd always end up making love on the lounge chair in his office, or playing a card game together.

"That look in your eyes… it makes me want to burn Pandora down," his regret was evident in his tone. He hated having to leave her all the time.

She looked away, "I'm sorry. I'm not making this easy for you. Even though I told you I didn't want to get in the way of your work,"

"Its the other way around…," he leaned over and kissed her neck,"…Work gets in the way of me being with you."

She moaned softly when he laid her back on the bed, hand creeping up her side sneakily. She forced herself to shoo his hand away.

"Go on, I don't want to make you late,"

"If I'm late then that's my own fault," he said, capturing her lips. Alice allowed for a soft kiss before she pulled away and smiled.

"You're stubborn," she whispered.

"I know," Break claimed her lips again but she stopped him.

"We can finish this when you get back," she promised. He huffed with frustration, before he pecked her cheek and got up, "Just remember you said that," he threatened pleasantly.

She laughed mischievously, "I will."

"The servants are tending to Sharon. I should be back before she wakes. Remember, if anything seems strange in the house-"

She turned her eyes up playfully, "I know I know, you left Pandora's number next to every phone."

"Very good. I'll call you before I come home,"

**OOO**

As the carriage rolled through the snowy town Alice opened the curtain that separated her from the carriage driver.

"Thanks. I can walk from here."

"Are you sure, Miss Alice?"

"I'm sure. I'll be going back with Break so you don't have to stay."

"Alright then, be carful."

Alice was surprised to still have ended up in town that day. Usually, she'd be in town on Tuesday anyway. But she never went without Sharon, and because the girl was sick Alice planned on staying in that day. All that changed though, once the phone rang soon after Break had left to go to his meeting.

"_Is that so…so you won't be coming to town today?"_

"_No, not until Sharon's better."_

"_Its too bad, I was hoping you could stop by my office. I'd like to take care of your appointment today if possible…"_

"_I thought you said Wednesday."_

"_I did. But, I didn't realize how booked I was this week…"_

"_I guess I can still come there if you want."_

"_That would be helpful."_

"_Actually… maybe we should just reschedule. Break wanted to be there for the appointment."_

"_Oh, I'll call him for you and have him meet you here. Pandora's only having a brief meeting today, "_

"_ah…Ok…I'll come right now then."_

"_Great. Please wait for me in front of the library; I'll meet you there. See you soon, Alice."_

She made her way down the snow-covered street. Stopping in front of the library and standing outside the entrance. She waited for the doctor patiently, but as the minutes passed she thought she would kill some time by going into a store and buying a snack.

She stepped away from the building, preparing to cross the small street, but then her nose wrinkled. _That smell_…She instantly covered her nose, afraid she'd be sick if she continued to inhale it. She looked around anxiously, suddenly feeling too exposed. A deep roar came from somewhere down the street and gunshots rang out.

People were already running in her direction, screaming wildly as the sound of destruction ebbed closer toward where she was. Fear paralyzed her, the only time she moved was when she was knocked to the ground by a panicked person that she didn't even see pass her.

She braced herself, thinking she would be trampled, until she felt her body being lifted. She was scooped up and moved out of the alarmed crowed. When Alice looked up she noticed that it was the man from the store she was in last week with Sharon.

He placed her on the ground next to a building.

"You shouldn't be here. Are you alone? Isn't anyone here who can take you to safety?" he asked, looking down at her stomach knowingly. They both looked over at a building crumbling in the distance. This time, Alice began to see the creature's outline in the dust of the heavy debris that was rising up from the destroyed structure.

Not a second later, she heard a familiar voice.

"Alice, are you alright!" Doctor Thomas called from the other side of the street. He was in an alleyway. Most importantly, he wasn't alone. The last thing she wanted to do was answer him, because she was too distracted by who was with him.

_Why are they here? _

She instantly became unnerved, "I have to go…" she said to the man beside her. He helped her to her feet and Alice concentrated on getting away from there. But she didn't get very far. Oz already spotted her.

**XXX**

When Gilbert saw Alice, there was a feeling of relief that washed over him. He only had two bullets left in his gun and he didn't want to use them until it was absolutely necessary. That is, until he actually saw the Chain get close enough.

When Jack saw her, he wasted no time trying to release her power. As some of the dust cleared Gilbert could see that otherworldly wind surround her, lifting up her long hair and swarming around her body. But the transformation was halting. It took a moment for Gilbert to realize that she was trying to suppress it.

Something wasn't right.

The doctor called out to him, "Hurry! Stop him from releasing her power."

"Are you crazy!? We need her help, everyone will be killed."

"I'll explain later! Just do as I say- _please,_" the man pleaded.

_This is absurd_, Gilbert mumbled under his breath as he made his way to Jack and quickly placed his hand on his forehead. Jack struggled in his embrace at first, but he finally saw the wind around her settle into nothing. He saw her drop to her knees in the street. The transformation was cancelled before it had a chance to complete itself.

For a moment Jack was only able to slumped against him, but soon, he turned to Gilbert and began to rage.

"Have you gone mad? Why did you interfere! I should feed you to that chain you poor excuse for a –_Ummphh._"

It happened in a flash, one second Jack was yelling at him and the next… he was out cold at Gilbert's feet; face first in the snow. When Gilbert looked up, he saw the doctor standing there holding a thick plank of wood in his right hand.

"W-why did you just hit him?" Gilbert asked in a daze.

"He'll only make this worst for her if he's awake," the doctor lifted Oz's smaller body from the ground and picked him up, "We must leave here immediately. I'll bring him to your carriage, please fetch Alice as well."

Gilbert was so stunned by the doctor's actions that all he could do was comply. As he limped his way over to where Alice was he heard the doctor call out to him, "Be very carful with her! Don't move her around too much."

Gilbert nodded and limped up to her, "Alice?" he said as he stared down at her trembling body. When she looked up at him he felt his heart lapse. He had never seen such a numb fear in anyone's eyes before. It startled him. And in another way, it made him sad for her. The way her eyes seemed to stare through him, blank and helpless.

Unexpectedly, she reached out her hand and griped his pants leg lightly.

"P-please….please help me…my…." she whispered.

Gilbert quickly collected her in his arms, when he lifted her he noticed two bright red spots in the snow. He looked her over, hoping to spot wherever she was bleeding from.

"Where are you wounded?" he asked her. She didn't respond, simply looked off into the sky that was quickly filling with Pandora agents. She lay lifelessly in his arms as he made his way to the carriage. He noticed that Jack was still very much unconscious, and the doctor had taken the drivers seat.

"Get in quickly, I'll take you back to your home, "the doctor called to him.

The carriage began to move as soon as Gilbert sat down. He could still hear the chain continue to rumble savagely down the street as the agents battled with it. He looked over at Oz who was lying across the opposite seat. Then he looked down at Alice who he kept in his arms.

Her eyes were still open and empty, completely unresponsive. He contemplated checking her for wounds, but thought better of it when he noticed the small swell of her stomach. Curiously, he let his hand hovered over it, thinking it was just an illusion made by her thick winter coat. To make sure, he gently placed his hand there….

Gilbert's hand shook as he pulled it away, heart beating fast. He swallowed deeply and turned his uncomfortable gaze out the window. For the rest of the day he would pretend he didn't know what he just found out.

**OOO**

"It is important that I stress to all of you how disappointed I am. I gave specific orders to have those contractors exterminated by the close of last week. Because of your negligence, an astronomical amount of damage is being done in town right now. And all those endangered citizens have you to thank for this crisis. I know exactly who disobeyed my orders, and I will be following up with those responsible," Break was already tired from saying that mouthful; he glanced wearily at the emergency report he just received.

They had been a few minutes away from closing up their meeting, then a call came in requesting reinforcements in town to destroy a Chain. The report proved that the contractors in town were the same ones who had been in the laboratory – they escaped.

The news infuriated him, but he kept his temper tamed enough to speak to the agents with a civil voice. Besides, it wasn't all of them; it was mainly Rufus he was upset with. The same person who volunteered to fund the contractors "extended stay at Pandora."

Break continued on, ready to go home to his love and give Sharon her next dose of medicine, "If there is nothing else anyone would like to share then we can plan the date for our next meeting -"

"I have something to share," Rufus interrupted, "Before everyone goes, there's something I'd like to show you all today."

Break stayed silent as he watched the redhead elegantly hand out one white folder to each of the members that were seated at the conference table. He almost scoffed at the audacity the man had to even bring something new to the table when he was at fault for the current Chain crisis they were facing. Even still, Break allowed him to proceed. And soon, all twenty-five agents had a folder, with the exception of one person –Break.

"The folder in front of you contains what I would consider the most groundbreaking find that this institution has seen in a very, _very_ long time. Please look at the accompanying notes for further clarification as to what you're looking at in each photo."

There were gasps. Some adjusted their glasses, pulling the photos closer to their face so they could get a better look. Others shook their head in astonishment, whispering over to whomever was beside them to see if they were looking at the same thing and reading the notes properly.

Break looked on with increasing frustration and a bit of hidden anxiety as to what everyone was looking at.

"Is there a reason I wasn't given a folder?" he asked with a raised brow and a clipped tone.

Rufus smiled softly, "I apologize. Please William, will you allow our director to look on with you?"

The man excitedly shifted his body toward the white-haired man, genuinely smiling ear-to-ear. "You won't believe this, Sir. These findings are exceptional, I'm sure you'll be more than pleased," he said, sliding the folder over to the man.

Break quickly put on his reading glasses and looked down at the first photo…All the color drained from him.

An agent toward the middle of the table spoke up, "Can someone please explain to me how this is possible?"

"While I know much about this I don't have _all_ the answers; our director is the one who is leading this experiment," Rufus said each word with a professional smartness, seeming to relish in the excited bout of mumbles and whispers.

Finally, a concerned voice broke through it, "Is this true, Xerxes?" Oscar asked.

Everyone turn toward Break to see what he would say but the man was too busy flipping through the documents, hands fiercely trembling as he viewed each photo, and read each medical note.

"Who took these photos?" he asked above a whisper, voice calm. He was ignored. No one could hear him over the excited chatter that was beginning to build again. That didn't stop him from raising his voice beyond that, though.

He stood up, seat hurled to the floor with the force of his actions, "WHO TOOK THESE PHOTOS!?"

Everyone went silent, looking at him with awkward expressions, before looking at each other. Smiles that were once on interested mouths receded into confused wobbly "o" shapes, while others cleared their throats uncomfortably.

Break's breath came out in violent pants of anger, red eye glowing wrathfully as it scanned the crowed table for the culprit who assisted his rival in such exploitation!

Rufus was the only one still smiling; he rose from his seat, ignoring Break and his question.

"What you're all looking at is evidence of something that was once incomprehensible to our imaginations. _Chain Breeding_. As the evolution of these amazing yet _deadly_ creatures have made it possible for such a thing to exist. But only in certain cases, and so far only with human help. Isn't that right director?"

"How dare you! Why would you do this!" Break raked his clawed fingers against the table, crumbling the documents beneath his palms. Everyone was startled but his fit of rage did not faze Rufus. The redhead simply kept on talking as if Break weren't about to crawl across the long table and choke him. The conflicting reactions from both men caused confusion in the agents. They didn't know who to listen to, but Rufus's words captured their attention once more.

"Our research director has taken the risky and dangerous job upon himself. As a result, the creation of a chain-human hybrid is in process. As you can see in photos 1 and 2, and on page 1 of document 4."

The agents began to burst with questions, their scientific curiosity overshadowing the fury of their leader.

"When do we take her in for further test?"

"How do we know the gestation period is equivalent to that of humans?"

"What do we do with the specimen once it's birthed?"

"Is it possible to replicate this is experiment with the same host if this one is successful?"

Break was stuck in speechlessness, eyes darting around the table with complete unbelief as he listened to the way they referred to his lover and their unborn child.

He stepped away from the table feeling detached and cornered. His eyes landed on Liam who was looking at him. Liam lipped the words "Don't worry" to him, and silently got up from the table. He excused himself quietly, pausing at the door and looking back at Break to make sure the man understood what his next actions were going to be.

Break closed his eyes in despaired understanding, giving Liam a few small nods of permission. Before Liam nodded back once and left the room.

All across the table there were candid black and white pictures of Alice doing normal things, like changing into her dress in the bedroom, or sleeping on her back. He could tell some pictures were more recent than others because of the size of her stomach. One photo even caught her reaching for a baby bottle in a store window.

The camera must have been the "flash" she was always seeing.

There was one last picture of someone's illegal contract. It was fixed at the halfway point. And when Break skimmed over the medical notes, he realized whose handwriting it was.

His moment of detachment was cut short when the spark of betrayal and disgust ripped through him, and it didn't help that the agents continued on with their talk of "specimens and host"

"STOP IT! I will listen to no more of this!" Once more everyone quieted and looked at him.

"There is no _experiment_. Alice and I…we're in love. I was going to tell everyone when I was ready, but I feared it would stir a reaction like this"

Rufus's lips seemed to curl at the tips, "So you're admitting to tampering with research?"

"…."It was a trap question, one that Break hesitated to answer. Rufus had him exactly where he wanted him.

"You know that's an ultimate offense, and that the consequences are dire."

"Aren't we taking this a bit too far-" Oscar spoke up but was quickly cut off.

"Rules are rules, Oscar. They don't change when applied to our superiors. Will someone please escort Mr. Break to the interrogation room?"

Break backed away when three agents stood up and started toward him, he put his hand on his sword but was seized before he could use it. The agents led him to the door, "Let me explain!"

"You can explain to the chief director."

As they took him away, Break heard the last question that was addressed to Rufus, "Where is she now?"

"Alice will be in custody shortly, I have an agent picking her up in town."

Break began to speak fast and franticly to the agents who held him, "What is he talking about? Who has Alice?! Answer me! I won't let you people touch her! Let go of me!"

**OOO**

Something in her stirred finally. It happened when she felt her body being lowered onto a bed.

"Miss, bring me a large bowl with hot water, and a few clean towels please."

"Right away."

She was sure a door was shut…somewhere. The sharp sound of bed curtains quickly closing in around her followed. Suddenly, a feeling surged through her - restless, spinning, rattling.

"Alice…can you hear me?"

Her eyes were still plastered open with shock, unmoving, unseeing, only able to stare straight ahead. Another sound registered in her mind, something resembling short quick huffs that wouldn't stop flowing.

"You must slow your breathing. Try and take slow deep breaths,"

There was a violent sound at the door. A ghostly fear swept through her gaze, widening her eyes even more when she heard a voice of which she knew… but didn't know.

"Let me see her! I refuse to be left in the dark about this!"

"Calm down, you'll only hinder the doctor from helping her!"

The man beside her called out, "Please get him away from the door, it will startle her further,"

Her brow began to mesh together. There was so much _noise_; so much panic. She whimpered loudly, small hands rising up to cover her ears.

Her actions were interrupted when she sensed a cold hand on her cheek, "It will be fine…I won't let you lose it."

_Lose what?_ Her mind asked what her lips could not. It was only then that she could feel the deep ache that resided in her lower body, like a soft throbbing of discomfort.

Finally, her eyes shifted to the side, realizing that the hand on her cheek was long gone. Through the opaque bed curtains she could see the figure of a man standing with his back turned toward the bed; he was looking through a black bag.

She moved herself up the bed a little more. Beginning to feel intimidated as she looked around the familiar room. When she heard the rubbery sound of medical gloves being put on, her amethyst eyes snapped back to the man.

His heavy sigh damaged the silence in the room. The sound was ominous, saddening. Alice's heart paused when there was another violent knock on the door.

"Let me see her! What's going on?"

Another frightened whimper escaped her. She wanted to hide herself.

"Get away from the door," the other voice outside said. She knew that voice too…who was that? Where was she?

The man approached the bed again, standing at the end of it. She looked at him, and he appeared surprised to see her alert. He leaned forward and gently took one of her ankles in his hand but she snatched it back and curled her legs beneath her thighs.

The sound of keys jiggling the knob made them both look over. The woman came in and struggled to lock the door behind her; her hands were full; a steaming bowl in one hand, and clean towels in another. The woman put them down then she left the room again. Locking the door from the other side.

Alice shook her head, heart pounding, trying to move further away from those gloved hands.

"Alice, I'm not going to hurt you, I only want to help."

Two fresh tears fell onto her dress, and the first clear question found its way to her lips, "Where's Break?"

"Please listen to me. I have to work quickly because your baby may be in trouble…"

Her heart stopped, "My…" slowly she looked down, noticing a small red stain on her dress hem. While the first scream built its way into her throat, his gloved hands reached out for her like shadows, taking her legs and sliding her further down the bed.

* * *

Ok, so this is the first half. Once again I'm too tired to edit the other half just yet. But hang tight. Things will get kicked up yet again in the next chapter. Can this get any crazier? YES. It can. You know...I look back on this story and think about how innocent it started out...it's come a long way I think.

**Lina **– if you're still reading this give yourself a pat on the back you hit the nail on the head like 80% of the way (You'll see why it wasn't 100% soon). Very insightful prediction. I'm proud of you. Thanks for reviewing.

Thanks for reading everyone

-Rage


	22. Blending Blood and Tears II

I don't own PH

**Warning: Graphic Descriptions**

* * *

**XXX Blending Blood and Tears II XXX**

They had forcefully escorted him to a room down the hall. Much to his disgust and exasperation, three agents stood near the door for the purpose of keeping an eye on him. He closed his eyes and tried to remain calm.

There was no way he could talk his way out of this if the directors thought he was being irrational. He decided to trust that Rufus had been attempting to set him even more off balance by even _suggesting_ that Alice was not safe at home.

There was no reason for her not to be.

Plus, almost every agent had been in the room that day, with the exception of those who left to take care of the chain problem in town. Unless…Rufus released the contractors on purpose so the agents could have an excuse to collect Alice from home?

No, no, that couldn't be. Break had handpicked who would go in town that day. Rufus had to be lying. Surely the redhead would send someone out to get her now that everyone knew, but Break wasn't afraid of that.

Break knew Liam would make it to the Rainsworth mansion in time to gather everyone and move them to safety. Most likely, he would bring Alice and Sharon to an inn for the night. The thought comforted him, knowing they would be far away from Pandora and their one-track minds.

His heart squeezed with anguish when he pictured the questions Alice might have about where he was and why he had not returned to her as he said he would.

When would he return to her? How long would they attempt to detain him?

Thoughts of his small fragile family plagued his thoughts, even as one of the elder directors sauntered into the room with Rufus.

He glared at the redhead, as both men sat down across from him.

"I admire you, Break. Many of us do, that's why we appointed you into such an important position. I will give you a chance to explain yourself. But before you do, I'll offer you a sort of plead bargain, so to speak. The charge you're facing is heavy; tampering with research is a policy that even you helped write into the laws that we follow here. If you admit this incident occurred for the sake of research, we will drop the charges, and you will assume your role unscathed. But if you chose to stick to your _other _claims, I will have no other choice but to take action against you."

"What will happen to Alice if I go along with this?"

"To be honest, her fate will not change. She will be brought here as soon as possible and she will remain in our custody."

The man must have seen the flicker of fear and distress erupt in Break's red eye, because he felt it necessary to follow up his answer with meaningless assurance.

"Worry not. She will be cared for here. We will not mistreat her and you may be able to continue heading the experiment after some much needed time away from it. As it stands now, I don't think you can lead the experiment with your emotions still attached."

"How many times must I repeat myself? This didn't happen for the sake of research."

"Although you keep saying that I'm convinced that you've willed yourself to believe that."

"Willed myself?"

"Yes. I have a feeling this started out as side research and you began to lose sight of that. Believe me, not many people can go into something like this without getting emotionally attached to the host…after all, she seems so human; of course you would begin to regard the specimen she's carrying as your own flesh and blood-"

Break shook his head, "You could never be farther from the truth, sir."

The man sighed, "Listen, you will heal from this, we will help you."

"I don't need your help,"

Break reached his hand into his pocket and took out the emblem that represented his association with the organization. He tossed it across the table without a second thought; the director frowned down at it, while Rufus smiled lightly.

"There, I resign," he said, looking Rufus dead in the eye as he stated it. The man's eyes lit up triumphantly before Break continued, looking back at the director.

"I will step down and discontinue all affiliation to the organization. Any past research that I have in my possession I will turn over to you. You can be certain that I will never speak of Pandora's confidential information to any outside party, and feel free to erase my name off of any document that I have signed. All I ask in return is that you leave her in peace. If you must punish me then I'm fine with that…she shouldn't have to pay for my actions."

"I'm afraid I can not do that. Even if she conceived with a commoner Pandora's actions would be no different. Please try to understand. Perhaps if there were more validity to this we would consider allowing her to continue on this way. But it doesn't help your case when we know that the child is an illegitimate, she is not your wife-"

"She will be! We're to be married in the spring, before my child is born," he said, hoping such a heavy declaration would change the man's mind.

It didn't help though. The man looked at him with a sympathetic stare, it was obvious he pitied the white haired man. Looking at him like a lost soul who was too love-struck to see straight.

The man opened his mouth to speak but stopped when the door suddenly opened, "Excuse me. There's a call for Mr. Break on the mainline. The person said it's urgent."

"Now's not a good time," the director said.

"_Please…" _Break was nearly falling apart, knowing the call was important_, "..._If nothing else, at least allow me to take this call."

The man sighed and nodded, telling the agents to bring him to the phone. The agents surrounded him, one in front, one on his side, and one in back of him. Break wondered if it was Liam calling to say he secured Alice.

When they reached the phone Break eyed the agents that were once people _he _would have been directing before he answered the phone.

"Break speaking."

"Break, its Gilbert."

Break lowered his voice into a whisper, "….Gilbert? Why-"

"I know this sounds strange, but something's happened to Alice."

"W-what do you mean _something happened_?" he nearly hissed.

"We found her in town and brought her back with us,"

"She was in town...With the Chains...?" Break suddenly sounded deflated, like he was hollow.

"Yes, she-" Gilbert paused and Break almost dropped the phone when he heard the sobbing screams erupt through the phone. In between all of that, Break could hear her call out for him, begging him to help her.

"_Dear god_…please tell me that isn't her!" Break nearly crumpled, strength quickly leaving his body.

"….There's a doctor in with her but he won't tell us what's wrong."

His voice was strained from holding in his anguish, "He's hurting her-"

"He's not," Gilbert said, voice reassuring.

When her screams muffled into stifled cries of his name, the phone dropped from his hands. He looked at the agents who looked back at him with wonderment. Before they could speak Break spun around and bolted down the hall. His body felt empty and light has his feet hit the floor. But his mind, it raced at speeds faster than any man could ever run as the pieces of the situation began to come together.

_"Don't you find it fascinating that she experienced growth, like a real person?...Wouldn't that also mean it would be difficult for her to turn back into B-rabbit?"_

"_It's an after affect from whoever attacked her…. I have something that might speed up the healing process"_

"Stop him! He isn't allowed to leave!" Someone shouted behind him, but instead of trying to get in his way, agents moved out of his way instead; not wanting to collide with the man who was sprinting at top speed. He forced another surge of haste into his steps as he approached the front doors, running down the stairs and mounting the first horse he saw.

_"Now can you see why you should spare him? No one else will know the best way to care for her...we need him, Break."_

"Follow him, he's getting away," someone said from the steps. He knew he needed to lose them; otherwise he'd lead them straight to Alice. He almost bared his teeth in anger bringing the reigns down onto the horse as the other men were mounting theirs. He didn't have time to waste; yet, he was forced into finding a way to slow them down.

_"She started seeing that strange flash again,"_

Break slowed the horse, expertly turning it around. He moved the massive beast over to a tree and reached up, struggling to break off a large snow covered branch. He yanked it away in frustration, grasping it tightly in his hand when he noticed the two agents approaching on their horses.

Break made the horse back up a little, before he charged them. He let go of the reigns and raised the thick branch above his head. The first man literally didn't know what hit him, before falling unconscious off of his horse and into the snow. The second horsemen had seen what happened but did not slow down. Break hopped off his horse and went straight to the man lying in the snow. He took the silver gun off the man's hip before aiming it at the other horsemen who was now circling him.

The other man reached for his gun, but before he could Break shot his horse, causing the beast to raise its front legs high into the air and throw the man off of him. The horse trotted into the woods in pain, while the other agent tried to get himself up. Break sent a bullet into the man's thigh, making him fall sideways to the ground.

"_I'm with Jack almost every moment of the day, I watch him like a hawk."_

He breathed deeply, wet snow making his bangs stick to his forehead. He put the gun on his hip before he got on his horse and set off down the road.

"_There's a doctor in with her, but he won't tell us what's wrong."_

**XXX**

They had been waiting patiently in the hallway for any word from the doctor about Alice. Her screaming had stopped sometime ago and no sound came from the room, not even a cough. Gilbert was so out of it that he didn't even bother to lock Jack back upstairs in the west wing. And after Jack's initial ruckus when they first got home, the man seemed to settle into a quiet worry.

Although, it was worry without proper knowledge. Gilbert didn't dare tell him what his theory was about the girl.

Gilbert's earlier discovery about Alice bothered him deeply. He wasn't even sure he was right, but by the way Break sounded on the phone… he might have guessed correctly. Gilbert bit his bottom lip at the thought that the blood he saw in the snow was probably…

"Damn," Gilbert whispered under his breath, eyes secretly observing Jack's clueless form from the side.

_What have you done, Jack…_

**-:::::::::-**

Gilbert wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he was sure it couldn't have been very long until he saw Martha at the end of the hall pointing toward them. Within seconds a snow dusted Break began to walk in their direction causing Jack to stand up in a defensive pose.

Slowly, Gilbert stood as well; he looked as if he was searching for some words to say, but nothing would come from his lips. Besides, what could he possibly say at a time like this?

"Leave, you're not welcome here," Jack spat.

Break barely heard the words the "man" said, didn't care. All he needed was his question answered.

He directed the question to Gilbert; "Did he release her power?" his tone was low, eyes pinned to the floor. The red orb was hidden behind his snowy white bangs as his fist clenched at his sides.

Gilbert looked at Jack, almost ready to answer until Jack cut him off. He took an intimidating step toward Break regardless of the fact that he was much shorter than him.

"Why does it matter if I did? What, did I interfere with whatever you've been doing to make her power disappear? If I did, then good."

A side smirk snuck onto Jack's lips.

And the rage filled back handed _smack_ that sent him spinning to the hardwood floor quickly replaced it.

Blood rapidly collected in "Jack's" hand as he held his nose. Gilbert was on the floor next to him, hands hesitating as they hovered worriedly over the boy's body. Not knowing if he should touch Oz or not since it wasn't Oz he was dealing with, but still…

Gilbert looked up angrily at Break, "Do not forget whose body this is!" Inside he knew Jack deserved the smack, but the problem was that Oz would ultimately suffer from it.

Finally Break asked his main question, "Where is she?"

Gilbert sighed and pointed toward the bedroom door, "In that room,"

As Break past them, Jack glared up at the white haired man whilst wiping the blood from his nose. Although he made no move to keep the man away from her, the look in his eyes spoke otherwise.

He would not let the man have her that easily.

-:::::::::-

Break entered the room, eyes going from hard to soft once he took in her outline on the bed. He was aware that Doctor Thomas took a cautious step away from the bed as soon as he saw Break enter the room.

He felt as though he might collapse when his gaze skimmed over the washbasin with a white cloth that hung over the side …with very faint traces of crimson on it. Shaking, he approached the bed taking hold of the sheer bed curtains.

His eyes became glassy; leaning down with one hand hovering beside her cheek as if he was going to caress it. But he dropped to his knees instead. He picked up her limp hand and placed kisses the back of it before resting his own hand on top of hers. As his shattered gaze traveled over her once more, the grief overtook him.

A sound of profound torment rumbled from his throat. He buried his face in the blankets wringing the sheets in his hands as his blood flooded with anguish.

"Please do not despair, sir," the doctor spoke quietly, "The child is still alive."

Break gradually raised his head up from the blankets looking at the doctor for a moment before eyeing the basin suspiciously. When he looked back at the doctor cold disbelief was written in his watery eyes.

"Then how do you explain that?" he pointed at the crimson dotted cloth in the basin.

"It's normal for women to lose a bit of blood in the first few months, its very common actually, especially under strenuous activity. The good news is that she hasn't dilated at all, but I fear that if she isn't kept on strict bed rest…her luck may change drastically."

Break took a moment to absorb the information. He felt hope begin to pour back into him as he sighed a breath of slight relief. He closed his eyes and thanked the gods for the small miracle, trying not to focus on the thin line they would now be walking in terms of that miracle potentially turning into a curse if he wasn't careful with her. As the glassiness faded away from his eyes he got up from the floor and quietly brought a chair next to the bed. He took off his overcoat and put it on the chair, taking the gun off of his hip and putting it on the table beside the bed.

The doctor seemed unnerved by the sight of the weapon, taking a few wobbly steps backward.

"You've been lying to me from the beginning haven't you…" Break said, while holding one of Alice's hands and softly smoothing over her stomach with the other.

The doctor remained silent, so Break continued; "Rufus presented evidence against me today. Among the documents were medical notes with your handwriting. The only way he could have obtained those documents is if you gave them to him."

The doctor hesitated, looking at the door as if he were ready to try and escape, but he thought better of it and calmly sat near the window, "I suppose I… have no choice but to come clean."

"Perhaps you should start from the beginning, "Break suggested bitterly.

The man looked toward his feet and licked his dry lips before speaking, "I've been secretly working for Rufus for a few years. Even Liam didn't know we were heavily acquainted. Only within the last few months has he requested my services. He told me he had an experiment in the works, and that all I would have to do is confirm a few things for him."

"So he sent you to me with a pre-made serum that he formulated to counteract the damage he did to her back. Passing you off as an expert that I should trust."

The man nodded with shame, "I thought it would end there. I wasn't even sure why he went through all of that. But I slowly began to understand when he started keeping a close eye on her. He told me he used to follow you in town to see the places you two often frequented,"

The man's words brought Break back to a memory of when Alice had been out grocery shopping with him, and Break was convinced she saw someone; it must have been Rufus.

The doctor continued, "As much as I hate to admit it, he's a brilliant man. He predicted the pregnancy, saying it was inevitable given her stable humanness and your infatuation with her. He also knows Sharon enough to have assumed that she'd trust me and request my services again. So he waited."

Break frowned; trying to keep his blood pressure from rising in anger, "And eventually he turned the spying role over to you. Meaning that it was you who took the pictures of her, and broke into our home..."

"Ye-yes, Rufus needed proof of the pregnancy to uproot you from your position," for the first time the man blushed, seeming to stumble a bit on his response. Break didn't like that; it insinuated possibilities that he didn't care to entertain at that moment. The man probably grew a desire for her from being forced to watch her all the time. He stored the information away for a later time and returned his gaze to Alice.

He was surprised when he noticed that she was staring at him with tears in her eyes.

He wiped some of the tears away as concern slid through his blood when the tears only became heavier and spilled more quickly, "Alice?" Break called to her tenderly, brow furrowing in worry. For a moment he wondered if she had overheard the conversation.

"I had to give her something to calm her earlier, and some pain medicine. She may still be disoriented from the dose," the doctor offered as a small explanation for her sudden tears.

She shook her head against the pillows, "Please forgive me…the baby-"

"-Is fine," he said, placing his warm hand on her stomach to reaffirm his words,"

"But…are you sure?" she asked. He nodded, kissing her forehead and telling her that all she needed to focus on was resting. She nodded in understanding and her eyes relaxed a bit as he combed his fingers through her hair, "Are you in any pain, love?" he asked her, the sound of his heavy heart escaping into his words.

Before she could answer, the doctor began to ramble nervously. As if he suddenly came to a new realization.

"Rufus never planned for it to end this way. He had a carriage arranged for me so that I could flee from town after I was able to confirm that she was no longer with child. But I just couldn't go through with it… He'll probably come after me now…"

Alice tried to sit up to get a better look at the man, "Break, what is he talking about?" she asked, puzzled at the man's sudden statement.

Break froze for a moment, realizing too many things at once. The new revelation struck every nerve in his body and twisted them painfully. He looked at the man in slight awe while silently encouraging Alice to return to her reclining position on the bed.

When she was settled, he turned back to the man, standing up from his seat, "What are you saying, that this wasn't a coincidence? Are you telling me he planned to kill my child!"

The doctor shrunk back at the outburst, speaking quickly, "H-He released the Chains from the laboratory on purpose. He wanted to make sure he set up the perfect situation in which she would be forced to use her powers. So he made me arrange a meeting between her and Oz on the same day that he set the contractors free and told them where they would find B-rabbit and when."

Break shook his head in doubt, walking toward the man, "It doesn't add up…that completely goes against the purpose of his supposed 'research'. He made it clear that he wanted to provided Pandora with a 'specimen.' Why would he aim to kill the very core of his plan?"

"He was willing to make that sacrifice to spite you...He wanted you to lose everything in one day: your position, your lover…your offspring. Rufus had been prepared to tell Pandora that if she…." he struggled to say the words,"that if she lost the child it would be a minor set back. He was going to convince them that if she could conceive once…she could surely do it again with someone else. Thus, they'd get another 'specimen' from her eventually."

"How…how did you get her to go to town today?" Break was seething now, eyes threatening the man as much as his tone was. Dread sparked in the doctor's eyes as Break's proximity became ominous of his fate.

"…I knew of Sharon's illness. So I couldn't rely on them coming to town like they usually did. Rufus had been planning to call the emergency meeting today anyway to keep you distracted…I-I had called and told her to come into town for a rescheduled appointment." Right after the words were said doctor Thomas gasp and pinned himself against the wall. This forced Break to look over to see what had startled the man.

Across the room Alice was sitting up on her knees on the bed, pointing Break's stolen gun directly at the man. He had forgotten that he placed the object down on the nightstand. She held the gun comfortably, as if she was used to it. Her bangs shadowed her eyes.

Maybe Break should have been shocked at her actions, but he knew exactly what would spark her to do something like that. The man had betrayed her, and that was the bottom-line.

"You monster…how could you do this to me! You liar!" she screamed.

It was only after those words that she began to tremble. Her hand became unsteady as she aimed the gun at the stunned man across the room. The doctor was frozen in his spot, going completely pale as his mouth failed to form words.

Break steadily made his way over to the bed, reaching over and gently slipping the gun out of Alice's wavering grasp. When the girl realized the weapon had been taken she looked down at her empty palms for a moment, before submerging her face in her hands to hide her tears.

After he secured the gun back on his hip he sat on the bed and eased her into a warm embrace. For a while, she laid in his arms sobbing, while he kissed her and whispered things to her that the doctor could not hear. But whatever he said was enough to quiet her. Somehow, he was able to maneuver her to lie back under the covers.

He continued to sit on the bed next to her, softly stroking her cheek as he watched her stare at nothing in particular, seeming lost in her thoughts. Break sighed, truly fearing for her health. She was in a bad condition physically and the emotional damage was only making it worst.

Without looking at the doctor, he spoke, "I warned you that if something like this happened, I would kill you. Did you think I would have mercy on you simply because you decided to have a change of heart and save her?"

"Please sir, be fair. You must considered that I gave everything to make sure Gilbert stopped Oz from fully releasing her power. If I hadn't intervened when I did she would have most certainly -"

"If you hadn't intervened _at all_ she would never have been in that situation to begin with," he reminded the man, "Until I decide what I will do with you, you will be my hostage. If our baby dies in the time frame that you are kept alive I will instantly end your life as well," Two fresh tears rolled down Alice's cheeks at his words, but he gently wiped them away with his thumb.

"I would tell you to leave us, but I don't trust you enough not to flee," he looked back at the defeated man in the chair, "So sit in that corner and remain silent."

The doctor looked down and did as he was told. Alice reached her hand to Break's cheek, but the sight of the doctor's face in his peripheral vision distracted him.

"As a matter of fact…turn around. Your face disgusts me."

Soon, the room filled with whispers and Break's voice had lost all its viciousness, the doctor almost didn't recognize it. He would look over from time to time and noticed that Break had chose to lay beside her on the bed, taking up as little space as he could. His face was buried in her hair.

The medicine must have worn off, because when she started experiencing discomfort Break requested that she receive another dose of the pain medicine. After she had it, she was quickly on her way to sleep again. Leaving the two men to watch the sun go down in black silence.

**XXX**

Some hours later, after the winter sun had set Break emerged from the room with a sleeping Alice in his arms. He had wrapped her tightly in a thick blanket, holding her effortlessly as if she weighed next to nothing. He walked down the hall with her carefully, heading to the entrance hall with the doctor behind him. There, he spotted Gilbert and Oz sitting on the stairs.

Hardly a moment passed before Oz was on his feet and running toward the front door. He leapt upward and grabbed one of the two decorative cross swords that were mounted on the wall before he finally turned around; pointing the sword toward Break, essentially blocking the door.

"You will not be leaving with her. She will remain here, where she belongs."

"Jack, let them leave," Gilbert went to approach the boy but the sword was swiftly pointed at him, Gilbert froze near Break.

"Don't you dare take another step. I'm so sick of you, Gilbert. You're forever interfering with things that are none of your business."

"Step aside. I have no time to entertain your delusions," Break voice was weary; he was in no mood to go through this.

"I will not! Return her to her bedroom at once."

Break's eye narrowed before he slowly lowed himself on one knee using the new position to free up one of his hands from supporting the space behind Alice's legs (which were now supported by his knee). Then he reached his hand into his overcoat.

"Break…"Gilbert almost laughed nervously when he saw Break take out a silver gun and point it at Jack. Gilbert shook his head, slightly in denial, "What are you doing?"

When Break didn't acknowledge him and flicked the safety off the gun, the raven began to quietly panic, "Break…stop it."

"I will say it once more. Step aside. I need to get her home right away-"

"She is HOME!" Jack screeched, seemingly unaffected by the sight of the gun pointed at him.

"I'm not going to waste time explaining this to you! I will count to three before I pull the trigger."

"Damn it, Break! Put the gun down!" Gilbert yelled, almost losing control of his pitch.

When Jack stood his ground, Break's red eye seemed to darken into a menacing red.

"Very well. One."

Gilbert nearly stamped his foot in desperate frustration. No one would listen to him!

"Two"

"Break, please!" When his words failed to reach the man Gilbert yelled out in frustration. He wanted to pull at his hair before he reluctantly took out his own gun and aimed it at his friend. Tears brimmed his gold eyes as he steadied the object, slowly bringing it up with both hands.

"Break… you know I can't let you hurt him. Even if he isn't himself right now, that still _Oz_, he's still your friend," he paused waiting for a reaction from the man, any sign that he was getting through to him. He continued speaking, voice shaking.

"I know why you're threatening him like this, believe me I understand…But I'm begging you…please don't make me do this!"

Break finally looked over at him, he knew Gilbert's shooting was on point, but the man was emotional at the moment. The risk was high that he would slip up and hit Alice, not to mention Break was useless to her if he was dead or wounded.

Break let out a weighty sigh. Of course he didn't truly want to hurt Oz, and if he did fire he would have been sure to graze the boy's shoulder if anything. But instead he resigned himself to sit on the floor with his legs folded, sliding the gun toward Gilbert before resuming a secure hold on Alice.

Gilbert let out a thankful breath, "Whatever it is we can talk it out. I know you're in a hurry but give me a chance to calm him down first. You can leave right after,"

"Have you not been listening? She's in critical condition and I can't risk Pandora finding me here…I don't have much time."

Jack finally jumped in the conversation, "Tell me what the hell is wrong with her. Whatever it is I'll fix it myself. You're not needed."

Break almost chuckled at him, "Very well. I'll tell you…but my words are not going to change your circumstances. If anything, what I'm about to tell you will only bring you to your ruin quicker."

"What kind of nonsense are you blabbering on about? What ruin?" Jack hissed, lowering the sword a little.

"I read through some of the doctor's notes today, and I found out something interesting. That seal on your chest, or should I say _Oz's_ chest; its synchronized with her trimesters…every three months it will move back by a quarter until there is nothing left of it."

"Trimesters…" his glare disappeared as he mumbled the word over a hesitant whisper. Suddenly looking very rattled even though Break was unarmed.

"Yes, it seems that the first time it moved backwards was the exact moment of conception…and every time after that will mark the completion of a new stage of development. Once the nine months are over she will be human and the contract will disappear."

The shock engulfed him, causing him to drop the sword hard on the floor. His legs went weak and he found himself falling to his knees, "You're lying…she can't be…."

"She is" Break said as he got up from the floor, taking the opportunity to begin walking to the door, "And yes... it's mine," he added for insult sake.

"No…no no no this is all wrong! It wasn't supposed to happen this way," he said, voice cracking.

Break turned to make sure the doctor was behind him, and then he smirked when he noticed the man was missing. _Smart man…_Break thought. The man could probably sense that Break had no intention to keep him alive. This infuriated and amused Break at the same time, the man was clever enough to escape when they were caught up in conflict.

He couldn't worry about that right now though, he would find him in due time.

As Break opened the front door he ignored the babbling Jack on the floor, and called to Gilbert who was staring at Jack with a drained expression.

"May I borrow a carriage?"

Gilbert nodded, "Do you need a driver?"

"That would be helpful, yes…"

"I'll have someone take you then."

"Thank you."

They were silent for a minute, both of them watching Jack rock back and forth on the floor in attempts to comfort himself.

"I wasn't really going to shoot him, you know," Break said finally.

"I couldn't tell if you would do it or not. I know he unknowingly did a lot of damage today….so I wouldn't put it past you to be angry enough to hurt him over that."

"I am angry."

"I don't blame you. Is...she going to be alight?"

"…I'm not sure yet," he said, looking down at her with sad eyes.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes…. please keep him from releasing her power again. I'm not sure I can stop myself from hurting him if he plans a reattempt."

Gilbert nodded, "I understand."

Break began to walk out of the door and Gilbert followed him out.

"Break..."

"Hm?"

Gilbert took a moment to gather his thoughts, "I need to apologize...I know I've said somethings to you and Alice that were out of line. I didn't know that she was...you know..." he blushed lightly and looked down toward his feet.

"Having my child?"

"Yeah..." his blush deepened putting a slight smile on Break's face.

"All is forgiven, Gilbert. Anyway, I should be thanking you for helping to save our baby today. I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything...but at least call and let me know if it all works out..."

"I'll do that,"

Deep in Gilbert's heart, he knew he would not see much of the man after that moment, at least not for some time. He had no idea why Pandora would be after Break, but he had a few good guesses. He helped the man into the carriage with the sleeping Alice, and told the driver to take them wherever they needed to go. After the carriage left he stood outside in the cold snow dreading the idea of going back inside.

He felt deserted. And that moment felt too conclusive and constricting.

It was the most disabling feeling to know that he was alone in all of this. Break and Alice could draw strength from each other, and yet, he was taking care of Jack/Oz alone. He had no one to talk to, no one to comfort him when he needed it. It was far easier when he could at least see Oz in the mornings, but that was now an infrequent occurrence. And most of all, there was no hope of the process being any less exhausting and lengthy.

Jack was beyond help at this point, especially now that he learned the truth about Alice.

Because of that, Gilbert...didn't know the next time he would see a smile on his lovers face, or feel the warmth of his arms around him. He would give anything to have a full day with him again, to talk to him...even if it was about something mundane.

He would give anything not to feel so alone...even more so now than ever; since he couldn't simply call up Break and ask him for advice anymore.

* * *

Happy Holidays, and all that other good stuff.

Thanks for reading

Rage.


	23. Frosty

**XXXFrostyXXX**

* * *

There were no more antics.

The crazy smiles were gone, threats of violence vanished with them. Resistance down, temper tamed and trimmed to nothing. Schemes had scattered somewhere forgotten, while devious intentions withered lifelessly within the faint glimmer between thick lashes. You could catch it sometimes, if you were looking hard enough.

In between sighs you could hear traces of hatred, and frustration could be detected in the twitch of his fingertips when they forgot to brace themselves against his own shoulders as he held himself. He would doze off sometimes, taking small naps between watching the boarded window. His stare was so deep, so contemplative; you would swear he could see through the barrier that blocked his view.

Gilbert brought tea over to him, no longer afraid to give him breakable objects since his docile state proved stable over the last few days. Jack took it from him and drank it in seldom silence. Meditative green eyes went back to the blocked window as if he would be missing something important if he didn't keep his eyes there.

Gilbert was going to take his seat back in the corner of the room, but a quiet voice stopped him.

"Sometimes I think I loved her too much…it seemed that the deeper my feelings got the further away from me she would drift…until I finally lost her completely."

Gilbert said nothing to this, just stood and listened. It was the most the man had said since the day he found out the truth of his fate…of his fate without her.

"When I think of the life she had, I always felt she was robbed of actually living it fully. First her freedom was taken, then her life…and then the essences of her humanity."

Gilbert took a seat next to him, something that he would have never considered a few days before that. He mildly noted that he was spending too much time in that room with the man because he was now staring at the boarded window too, as if there was actually something to see, "I think she's gotten a lot of that back, though," Gilbert stated.

Instead of responding to that comment Jack lowered his head, squeezed his eyes shut and put his hand over his eyes, "I wish it was _mine_…"

Naturally, Gilbert placed his hand on Jack's shoulder rubbing it for comfort. "I know," the raven said softly.

Jack shook his head, "You don't understand" he sniffled, "I would have given anything to have that life with her," his voice was pained, as if every word he spoke sliced his vocal cords, "He doesn't deserve to be the father…"

"Think of it this way, if it was yours you'd still have to give her up. You probably wouldn't even have a chance to hold it. The only way you could stay with her is to keep that contract valid, but…you'd end up robbing her just like you said everyone else did."

"How could you say that? I'd give her the best life possible."

"But she wouldn't be able to live it as a human. She'd be bound to her chain status forever, and there'd always be a limit on your life with her."

Jack fell silent again, whether he was blocking out Gilbert's words or contemplating on them was hard to tell. Still, the raven deiced to give him one last thing to ponder on.

"Right now, the best gift you could give her is being happy for her," he said, before placing his hands on his knees to help him stand up. Gilbert walked over to the door glancing back at Jack for a moment before leaving the room.

**OOO**

They had gone into hiding. The deep bowels of the Rainsworth mansion housed them now. Occasionally, he would hear the footsteps of Pandora agents passing above them, unaware that the very people they were looking for were right under their feet.

Pandora was not a terrorizing organization. They carried out everything "cleanly" not forcing themselves into the homes of the unwilling unless it was absolutely necessary. As many knew, branches of Pandora handled most of the dirty work. The Nightrays (Gilbert especially) were well known evidence of this. But, of course Gilbert would not be called in to assist with this. The issue was "too close to home" as some would say. And now, Break was in no position to order him around either.

He leaned against the doorframe; sweat threatening to build up around the edges of his hairline regardless of the nasty winter draft that was present in the basement. He turned to look at Alice who was asleep on the cot. He needed three thick blankets to keep her warm, in the unsightly conditions they were forced into.

Today he and Alice would be leaving the mansion, and that made gloom linger in his eyes heavier than he would of liked.

_**-::::::::Flashback: Two days prior:::::::-**_

"Yes… I'd like to view the property today….What time?... Yes, that's fine. I appreciate it…... Yes, I understand entirely…. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again."

Break hung up the phone, going back over to Sharon who was holding in her hysterics the whole time he was talking to the retaliator. He embraced her, allowing her to cry into his chest.

"It's all my fault…if I'd only listen to you back then-"

"Now, now…I won't have you blaming yourself for this. He fooled everyone. Myself included."

"But still, I was the one who urged you to trust him! And now look what happened. Oh! Please Break, go to another Rainsworth property, we have so many," Sharon blew her small nose again, a mixture of tears and sickness causing it to run.

"I'm afraid that all the Rainsworth properties are listed in Pandora's records, they'll expect me to go to one of them. I can't."

At that moment, Liam came into the basement room. His suitcase in hand and a kind smile on his face. Too bad it wasn't the only thing on his face at the time. A red bruise coated his cheek, fierce and red, showing proud like a battle scar.

"I'm assuming it didn't go well," Break teased lightly.

"Better than I thought, actually. He managed to keep my glasses intact even though I'm sure he wanted to cause much more damage," he smiled, "It feels good to be free of him, I should have done this years ago…but it seems appropriate that I did it today,"

Break sighed with gratefulness, "What would I do without you, Liam?"

"You'll be fine without me" he said, squeezing Break's shoulder warmly, "How is she?"

Break looked back toward the side room where Alice slept, "Stable, for now."

"She'll stay that way, I'm sure of it. She's been through a lot but she strong….I heard she gave everything to keep the transformation from taking place. I envy her strength to pull through that."

"She did. The doctor swore it was his timely order to have Gilbert stop Jack, but I don't think the results would have been the same without her determination."

**OOO The Present OOO**

The moonlight lit up the melting snow on the ground; winter constellations secretly watched them from the sky as Sharon fought to keep her tears from falling. They all gathered in the back of the mansion that faced the path into the dark woods. Darkness cloaking them and clocking them at the same time; the sun would rise soon. Time being the only enemy stalking them at that moment, but certainly not the only one they had to fear.

Break had already placed Alice in the carriage. His love slept soundly, curled up across the seat; wrapped tight with the warmest blankets.

At the moment, Sharon shivered from the cold, pink shawl wrapped around her shoulders as she snuggled in Break's arms, a heavy sob left her lips when he tightened his hold on her.

"I never thought I'd have to say goodbye to you like this," she cried.

"It's not goodbye. You're not lucky enough to be rid of me that easily."

His small attempt at humor only caused her to cry harder clinging to him like he would fade away if she didn't.

Liam went to her, placing his hands on her shoulders as a small signal to her.

"Miss Sharon…They must go before the sun rises."

Sharon looked back at him briefly then nodded. Turning back to Break, tears in magenta eyes, "When can I come visit you?"

"When things settle and Pandora stops frequenting the mansion," he placed some of her hair behind her ear, "Liam will let me know when that day comes. Until then, I promise to write to you often, I even left an address with Liam."

"I'm going to miss you and Alice terribly. You don't know how deeply I wanted to be there for everything."

"I know she wanted you to be there as much as I do," his sad gaze fell on the carriage where his love slept, "To be honest, I'm happy she's asleep. Saying goodbye to you would not be good for her right now. Though, I'm sure it will hurt her just as deeply when she wakes up," he sighed, voice heavy.

Sharon nodded in understanding, picking up the bag that she had placed next to her feet. "Please take this, it's not much but…I told you I always wanted to make baby clothes and things. So…" he took the bag graciously whispering a thank you.

Sharon rubbed Break's arm reluctantly stepping away from him; handkerchief wiping her eyes dry, even though more tears replaced them.

Liam stepped forward, one arm bringing Sharon into a comforting side embrace, and the other extended to Break.

"Take good care of her for me," Break said, clasping his hand around his friends.

"I will," he said seriously, shaking Break's hand firmly. When they parted Break patted Sharon's hair one last time before walking to the carriage, stepping into it.

"Break," Liam said right before the driver was about to close the door.

Break poked his head out, and suddenly… Liam's voice muted in his throat. As his eyes fell on his friend, flashbacks of every moment they shared made his eyes sting behind his glasses, while something thick and invisible grew in his throat making it hard to swallow. He licked his lips, forcing himself to speak "I'm expecting to see a healthy baby the next time I see you."

Break gave a proud lopsided smile, partially hidden by the dark, "You have my word," he said, giving them a final lazy salute. His eyes grazed over both of them with a fond sadness before he disappeared in the carriage. The door shut, and the driver climbed into the front.

Liam and Sharon watched silently as the carriage pulled off into the night, the sound of the wheels treading through the snowy ground filled in the silence between them. When the carriage was out of sight, a final whimper from Sharon's lips led her to the embrace of her new head servant and protector; as he sighed sadly and led her back toward the house.

**XXX**

How many months ago was it? Its seemed like so long ago that all three of them were inhabitants of this mansion, laughing together from time to time, arguing more times than not. Oz would flash him a big smile from across the table and his heart would beat like a wild secret, while Alice would interrupt the exchange with a whine of hunger or a deliberate attempt to steal Oz's attention.

Back then, Oscar would float through the house on laugher so weightless that he seemed to walk on it. But his laughter was always hearty enough to keep everyone grounded in high spirits. He'd crack jokes at Mrs. Kate who would shoo him away from the kitchen when he'd try to steal snacks. But Mrs. Kate was hypocritical in her actions because she would always give Alice some.

Break and Sharon would stop by and annoy him, speaking of missions and making fun of his "Oz-Obsession" while Alice fought off Break's insults with a few good ones of her own; some old, some new.

None of them would have known that such innocent days would give way to what became of them months later. Not one of them held that innocents anymore, but he supposed that was the price of "adulthood." They each had to exchange something pure and precious to gain the armor necessary to survive the rest of what life dished out to them.

What were they fighting for anyway? To keep the love they found?

Probably, because fun laughs and jokes did not protect what was yours; it didn't protect what was important to you. Love may be a game for some, but it certainly wasn't funny when you found yourself playing deeper and deeper into something that you don't have much control over.

And now that their virginities were gone, their laugher stolen, eyes having seen too much too quickly…would any of them be able to smile the same way they once had?

Perhaps the only pure thing that resided in each of them were the fond memories of yesterday's innocents…. and the hope that the fresh deep love they found to replace it…would last longer than those short precious days did.

**OOO **

Alice sat quietly on the bed, legs angled up over the pillows that lay under her calves. Warm blankets surrounded her and down pillows supported her back. She pulled at the pink yarn, moving quickly with the needle as the scarf she was making Sharon become longer by the hour.

Their new home was quaint and charming. It was a small stone house near the edge of a small lake; trees hid it from view, yet it was close to town. Break had bought it fully furnished. Antique tables decorated different parts of the house, and heavy curtains kept the cold from entering the large windows. The staircase was polished and carpeted an easy shade of beige. A crystal Chandelier greeted any visitor that would come in the front door, and the two bedrooms on the first floor welcomed guest that they could possibly invite… in the future.

Their bedroom rested down the hall on the second floor. A balcony was attached with iron railings. And there was a smaller adjoining room connected by a door to the master bedroom, one in which Break was currently taking measurements of.

Alice smiled when she heard him humming softly. It was hard on both of them having to leave Sharon behind. But the man worked hard to keep his eyes set forward, refusing to succumb to the circumstances.

It made her heart pound joyously when he wasted no time beginning to talk about renovating what would be the baby's room. Hearing him talk that way…it was an indescribable help to her. Her bed rest only served as a reminder of the looming possibility that…well…. her body had not recovered fully. And every day that went by without complications was a constant victory.

It was true that she wasn't expecting him to begin talking about such a project, knowing fear of her losing their baby would make him hesitant to make anymore plans until he was sure it would actually be born. After all, they had only been there for a week and Break had yet to find a new doctor that he trusted to care for her. As far as she knew he was still interviewing potential doctors.

Even still, she had to admit that she couldn't be more pleased with their new home. The best part was that they were in the same fishing village as Break's old friends. She knew she would be seeing much of them now that they lived there.

**OOO**

More than anything he was grateful for everything he knew and all his skills. It was not hard taking care of Alice alone, nor was it difficult tending to the house without other servants to help him. Most men his age left all the domestic work to women, and barely knew how to make themselves a sandwich. But his years of serving the Rainsworth's made his new life easily and enjoyable.

He'd rise early and make breakfast. Using only the freshest vegetables and the freshest meats. He would make his own bread, too; all because he wanted her diet to be as balanced and healthy as possible. Then he and Alice would eat together. He'd clean the dishes after, help her to the bathroom (since she was dead set against chamber pots) then begin working in the side room, putting together the round crib he ordered and hanging cream and lavender curtains.

By the afternoon, the bell would ring and it would be the errand boy he hired to go into town for him and bring back whatever he needed. He'd hand the boy a list of things to buy, or hand him a few letters to send to the post office. He was a good kid, always smiling and always happy to help out Break. The white haired man would always pay him extra, knowing it was a lot of work treading groceries through the snow.

Sometimes he would invite the boy in for tea and snacks to help him warm up before he headed home.

It was true, he would not entertain the idea of leaving Alice alone in the house. To Break, it was still too early to know if they truly escaped Pandora's watch, and he didn't want to risk it and make the mistake of trusting that he out smarted them.

He even arranged it so that all of the letters that he received from Sharon and Liam were first sent to Rita and Eithen, who would then bring them over to him. At the moment he read the first letter he received from Liam since Break moved into they're new home little more than a week ago.

_Dear Break,_

_I hope everything has been well with you and Alice. Sharon and I have been getting by fairly well with the exception of Pandora keeping watch of the mansion. They've been relentless, it quite disgusting actually. Frankly, I'm ashamed to still be associated with them. Although, I fear if I leave now I won't be of any help to you when it comes to collecting inside information. For example, it was just as you predicted, Rufus has been appointed the new department head. I didn't attend his celebration dinner, but I heard not many people attended. Oscar has been telling me that he's also thinking about resigning, he thinks he's been neglecting his family too much. Not to mention he's very much against the direction they're taking on you and Alice. If I didn't know any better, I would say the man's been slightly depressed._

_Anyway, There hasn't been any word on Doctor Thomas's whereabouts as of yet. I have a feeling Rufus has him hidden somewhere. I'll keep an ear out and let you know as soon as I hear of his current location. I also haven't heard much about Gilbert and Oz, but they have been in my thoughts as of late. Something dawned on me while I was replacing the wallpaper in one of the rooms. One of the pieces got stuck to the older one, and when I removed it they both tore off together, only leaving the original wall. I know you're wondering why I'm bringing this up, and what it has to do with Gilbert and Oz. _

_Well, it got me thinking about the contract transfers and how likely it would be for a new contract to override your old one. I thought that perhaps if you forge a contract with Alice, that it would not only remove the one from Oz's chest, but it would eventually disappear as well since her power is gradually disappearing. In theory it sounds plausible since Alabus is no longer around to keep the contract valid, thus, a new one should easily replace it. _

_But of course I did consider the danger of this, we still don't know if a transfer is possible, and more importantly, I'm not sure if it would harm your baby if you tried it. Come to think of it, there are a lot of risks involved, because if it works partially, its still possible that it would merge with your first contract and put triple strain on your body. Contracts aren't wallpaper, this we both know. But I still think its something to consider after a bit more research._

_If you do decided to try this…I would wait until Alice is in labor, it will reduce the risk of harming the baby and it will be at the moment that her chain status should be no more. If I understand this correctly, her powers will completely disappear the moment the baby's born._

_Please write to us soon, we're eager to hear from you._

_Regards_

_Liam Lunettes_

**XXX**

He gave in.

But it didn't matter because he never claimed to be strong anyway. He was never the type to make such binding declarations like "I can do this, I'm stronger than that!" No, he rarely said things like that; mostly because once you say it you have to hold yourself to that standard. And god forbid it if other people heard you make that statement they'll hold you to it too…far too much pressure. Life was hard enough without it.

That's why his mantras were more along the lines of "I'll try" or "I'm not sure if I can, but I'll do my best" and so on and so forth.

So he didn't get too upset with himself for throwing back a half bottle of hard liquor as he sat in the corner of "Jack's" bedroom and watched him sleep. Well, he wasn't really sitting; he was slouching down in his seat trying to keep his eyes open.

It was eerily quiet in there, not even a clock ticking in the background. Then again, the west wing was extremely creepy now that it was all boarded up and lacked furniture. At the moment there was one candle burning in the far corner of the room. It was a small candle, melting fast. The wick was growing smaller and smaller as the minutes passed. And the room was mostly dark and shadowy.

The darkness didn't bother Gilbert too much. In fact, he found himself staring at the candle and as it faded, he felt himself fading too. That's until he heard something….

"Gil?"

His head shot upward at the sound. His eyes fell on the bed and he squinted his eyes to chase the blur away from his vision. He forced his heart to slow down when he thought he saw Oz's dark outline sit up on the bed.

"Gil…is that you?"

"Oz?" Gilbert blinked his eyes a few times hope steadily filling him. Then he realized that he must have simply had too much to drink. Gilbert began to chuckle, oh…he knew all about this part. It may have been a few months but he knew a "tipsy-trick" when he saw one. He looked down at the bottle in his hand and chuckled a little more, shaking his head. He was in alcohol purgatory. The place where he was inebriated enough to hallucinate, but not quite blasted enough to pass out fully.

"….will you come lay with me?"

Gilbert looked back at the bed. The urge to go to the imaginary boy made his blood pulse fiercely. Did it mean he was crazy if he decided to participate in his own delusion? Probably. Thats way he resisted the urge, instead, getting annoyed with himself. Such elaborate illusions the mind could make when mixed with alcohol and lonely emotions. He wasn't falling for it, though.

"Gil-"

"Shut-up!…you're fake…" he yelled into the darkness, knowing this was his punishment for drinking so much.

"But…"

_This damn figment! "_Quiet! Just _be quiet_!" Gilbert struggled to get up from the chair. He wasn't going to stay in that room just so his mind could keep playing tricks on him.

"Please Gil-"

"_Shushhhh!"_

He stumbled to the door, searching for the knob in the dark and opened it quickly, before slamming and locking it behind him. Inside the room green eyes watered, thin arms hugging his knees, a disorient whimper escaping him.

"Gil….don't leave me alone in here…."

* * *

Ok. So sorry for the wait (I actually had a drunken lemon planed for the last part but... them shits take too long to write. I'll throw it in the next one probably). Anyway, so sorry for the late late update.

**A few updates:**

-you can skip to the bold part if you want-

So this is my last semester of college and its f****** killing me: work (I'm a graphic artist so I take a lot of the work home) + 2 volunteer gigs (more graphic design) +5 classes (more graphics, japanese, social research, and a html course thats kicking my ##$) + spontaneous side graphic jobs that people request at the last minute = **** in' gross!

**Now that we are approaching the last major arc of Half Hearted (4-5 chaps left give or take) I have been preparing another surprise. I have secretly been planning/ working on a new story for Pandora Hearts for about a year now. Its called "Night of Voids" its another GilxOz story but its an AU that takes place in the same time period late 1800's. This story is like...well...its darker and more down to earth. I think you guys will like it. I might release the prelude sometime this week (spring break right now) so keep an eye out for that if your interested. Plus the prelude will give a better summary of the story. **

As usual thank so much for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome.

-Rage


	24. Learning Life and Death

Sorry for the wait everyone, my health hasn't been so good, among other things. Missed you guys so much. Thanks for being patience.

**Warning: Lemon - BoyxBoy**

* * *

**XXXLearning Life and DeathXXX**

The change was gradual and inconsistent. Like walking a tightrope. A step forward that was too quick could mean stagnation in progress -because that's when you pause… and take a step back for balance. And standing still was an option out of fear of falling off. But even standing still could only be maintained for so long.

That was the only way to describe how Oz was currently doing – he was standing still.

Three months had past since Jack had receded and Oz was given back ownership over his own body. But the boy just wasn't the same. For the first two months his memory was extremely foggy, his smile was limited, and his gaze was lost.

"_Gil…what day is it?"_

"_Its Friday."_

"…_Its Friday?"_

"_umhm."_

"…_Are you sure?"_

"_I'm very sure,"_

"_Gil?"_

"_Hm?"_

"_I thought yesterday was Friday?"_

"_What happened to that calendars I brought you to help you mark off the days?"_

"…"

"_Well?"_

"_How do I know if the calendars right?"_

Each day for the first few months, hours were spent reorienting him. And it proved to be challenging and necessary. He'd ask Gilbert the same question several times in the same hour, and refuse to leave the west wing even though Gilbert encouraged him to. Gilbert would entice him with the promise of cakes and fun outings…but the blond would not budge from that room. Not to mention that he absolutely hated when Gilbert would leave him alone for more than a few minutes.

Oz looked confused when Oscar would come and visit him. He wouldn't speak when Martha would come upstairs and say good morning. And the one week when Ada was over during her winter vacation he seemed threatened by her presence, clinging to Gilbert possessively as the girl sat quietly in the corner of the room. Gilbert could tell she was trying her best not to pity her older brother state of mind, or take it personal when he requested that she leave.

It almost wasn't a surprise that it was the same week he and Gilbert started kissing deeply again.

"_We use to do this all of the time, didn't we?"_

"_We did…"_

"_Then why does it feel so new to me?"_

It was like starting from scratch with him. Once they reached deep kisses again the action seemed to fascinate Oz beyond reason. It was like he had forgotten that they ever kissed that way before. He would pull away from Gilbert's lips suddenly and Oz would look into his eyes and ask for another one. It was the only time traces of a real smile would reach his lips.

By the third and current month his memory was finally returned but Oz was still completely reclusive and provided little explanation as to why. He still smiled too little, and refused to leave his room in the west wing. Gilbert tended to him daily, bringing the boy books to read and meals to eat. Sometimes though, he would just stare out the window (they were no longer boarded up) for long periods of the day, never taking Gilbert up on his offers to bring him outside.

Honestly, it was like he was afraid to start living again. As if he didn't trust that he would be able to live to the extent that he wanted.

It didn't help that the seal had a quarter left on it, and although Gilbert wasn't as worried as he should have been he knew Oz was even more disillusioned about what the future would hold…perhaps believing he didn't have a future.

**XXX**

It had been a long night indeed. Oz was unusually restless and distrusting when it came time for them to turn in. He didn't like waking up to see a missing Gilbert and that was for sure. So they lay in bed for two hours in straight silence, sometimes kissing softly but otherwise "trying" to get sleep. Gilbert would listen patiently for the blonds breaths to transition to sleeping sighs, but every time he would open one gold eye to check to see if the boy had made his way to dreamland Oz would be looking back at him warily. He embraced him, hoping it would help the boy feel secure enough to fall asleep. And after an hour those steady breaths finally came and Gilbert vowed to give it a few more assuring minutes before he gently unwrapped his arms and left the boy asleep on the bed in the west wing.

Currently, he was sitting in the kitchen downing a glass of wine. Unfortunately, he had turned back to heavy drinking soon after Break had gone into hiding. Although his stress level was minimal, it came down to a crude and primitive fact: he was a man with _urges_….and the one urge he wanted to act on he was not ready to push Oz into it any time soon. To him, the boy just wasn't ready for that yet.

So for now, deep kisses and alcoholic beverages worked just fine.

Not to his surprise Oscar was still awake, roaming around the house. When the man came in the kitchen he looked worn and the smile he feigned made Gilbert's stomach turn.

The blond haired man hadn't been himself since he took an indefinite leave from Pandora. These days, he seemed to walk around with a million things on his mind. And his once resounding laugher quickly became a scarce concept. Even a dry chuckle was uncommon.

One thing that Gilbert hadn't anticipated was Oscar becoming overly involved with Oz's recovery. He wanted to be with Oz more and more as of late. It was obvious he didn't believe Oz had much time left, and even more evident that his time with the quiet boy was unfulfilling for him - mostly because Oz was simply disinterested in extensive interaction.

Oscar pulled out the seat across from him, a sigh coming out like a man having a hard time holding up a heavy heart, "Mind if I join you?"

Gilbert shook his head and nodded toward the wine bottle, "Would you like a glass?"

"No thanks…" he gave a grim flat smile, "I'm trying to cut back."

Gilbert shrugged with indifference and poured himself another, drinking it down like it was cold water hitting a parched throat. He was proud of himself; his tolerance had increased to the point that it took a lot more to get him drunk than when he was drinking less frequently.

"I was thinking…maybe you ought to go out for a while, catch a break. I have no problem staying with Oz for a few hours."

"Thanks for offering," he said between two sips, "But I'm all set."

"He isn't going to mind if you leave him here for a few days."

Gilbert raised a brow, "First a few hours and now _a few days_…that's a big jump."

Oscar sat back and studied him, "Alright, I'll just come out and say it then. I think you're doing Oz a disservice by allowing him to cling to you like this. Oz was never this dependent before…he needs to relearn how to do things for himself."

Gilbert filled his glass again, "Do you think that if I'm not here you can make more progress with him? You think he'll open up to you and just jump back into his old self?"

"It's not as silly of an idea when you think about it. He's barely changed since Jack backed down. Call me crazy, but breaking his routine may be good for him so he can learn to cope again. I think you might be getting in the way of that."

"He needs to go at his own pace. I'm not going to rush him to do things he doesn't feel ready for."

"Well, I disagree. The boy needs a jumpstart, a good kick in the pants. The only way to do that is to stop tip-toeing around him…. you're spoiling him, Gilbert."

"I'm not spoiling him."

"You are. And I'm starting to think you don't want him to recover…"

Gilbert's gaze turned agitated and disbelieving, "Do you even hear what you're saying? He barely smiles, he's forgotten how to laugh…those are the two main things I miss most about him. Why would I prevent those things from coming back?"

"You're forgetting something ,though?"

"What?"

"I know that you also enjoy _serving_ him. And Oz has never been a traditional master to you. This is the first time that he's relied on you like this. Wait -Why are you walking away from me?"

"Because you're starting to sound like Break. Irrational and unreasonable."

"You're leaving me little choice then. As Oz's elder…. I'm ordering you to leave the house for a few days."

"You can't be serious, Oscar."

"I am," Oscar sighed as he looked down at his feet, "I need to do what's best for both of you. And I hate to do it this way…really I do."

"Why are you asking this of me? You know I could never leave him like this."

"I'm not asking you anymore. Its an order," Oscar reached into his pocket and retrieved a few envelopes. "Here, this is the voucher for a hotel in town. I made the arrangements so that you'll have a comfortable stay there." He held them out to Gilbert and the man took a few long seconds to take them.

"Let me say goodbye to him first."

Oscar rubbed his temples, "Please don't... It will just make him upset."

Out of nowhere, Martha appeared holding a small bag and Gilbert's coat and hat. She held it out to him.

"I had Martha pack up some of your clothes and things to save you the trouble,"

"So you're really serious about this then?" he ask bitterly, tone low.

Oscar responded confidently, no regret in his voice, "I am."

Silently, Gilbert snatched the bag and put on his coat and hat. Both Martha and Oscar followed him to the entrance hall and watched him leave the house in a furry.

Oscar quickly when to the door to call after him, the raven stopped walking down the steps and looked back at the man though the frosty darkness, "The second envelope came in the mail today. It's from Break…I got one too. Listen, this isn't a permanent arrangement, Gilbert. I wouldn't try to keep you two separated under any other circumstance. Try not to be too upset with me."

It was too late for that, the damage was done and Gilbert was already mounting his horse and storming off into the snowy darkness by the time Martha could join Oscar outside and watch the raven leave.

**XXX**

The tavern was almost empty that night. And it was cold in there even with the fireplace that was glowing in the corner. A few patrons sat alone next to the windows, looking like they had each seen better days. Gilbert downed what was in his shot glass, before putting a few more bills on the counter for another one. The bartender seemed reluctant to pour him any more drinks but it couldn't be helped. Gilbert was a customer and the man needed to provide a service. He wasn't buying the man's advice or his judgment because if he wanted those things he would have asked.

He toyed with the edges of the letter that Break had sent to him. Folding the corners and then unfolding them. The envelope was fancy and he turned it over so he could dig his nail into the red wax and chip away at the pieces. When his third drink came, he threw his head back and downed it. His nostrils flared from the burn crawling back up his throat.

He pushed the envelope away from him, eyeing it for a moment. After a second he grabbed it up reluctantly and slid his index finger between the fold and broke the red seal (or rather, what was left of it).

_Gilbert,_

_It certainly has been a long time, hasn't it? I can't say that I haven't missed our little chitchats. It still feels a bit strange knowing that I can't just come over and harass you whenever I please. Those were good times, I quite miss them. _

_Anyway, I'm writing to you for two reasons. The first is that I would like to invite you to Alice's Baby Shower. Miss Sharon was rather disappointed that I was willing to forgo having a party for her because of safety reasons – after all, you can never be too careful. But now that Alice has successfully reached her sixth month I decided to reconsider. Of course the party will be highly exclusive, I'm only inviting particular people. _

_It terms of what to do about Oz…I'm unsure what state of mind he is currently in. (By the way, I do hope Jack has calmed down a bit}. But I'll leave this part up to your discretion. As I've said in the past I do trust your judgment. _

_If Oz seems stable and positive then I don't see the harm in allowing him to come with you. I wouldn't want to exclude him. He is the one I have to thank for bringing Alice out of the Abyss in the first place. _

_Ms. Sharon will be contacting you shortly to arrange your transportation if you do decide to attended. _

_Hope to see you there._

_-X. Break_

He read the letter over one more time before folding it up and putting it back in the envelope. He would take the matter up with Oz later, now wasn't the time to think about it. After a blurry look around the tavern the raven proceeded to rest his head on the counter. His empty shot glass was still gripped in one hand, while his head was buried in the crook of his arm. He closed his reddish eyes, exhausted and irritated. And the alcohol level in his blood was most certainly getting to be too much.

"I almost mistook you for a regular. You fit right in with the depressed atmosphere."

Gilbert lifted his head and looked over. He should have been more surprised by who it was that was sitting next to him, but he was too drunk to react that way.

"hm... You don't look too happy yourself…." he said to the fortuneteller who was now receiving a drink from the bartender.

"A place like this starts taking a toll on you after a while. It makes you wonder what came first; is it the atmosphere that makes people depressed or is it that the people who come here just aren't the happiest people?"

Gilbert leaned his face on his palm and said nothing to the man's comment. He let his eyes drift away as he observed the patrons again.

"How's that master of yours?"

"….He's fine now," _No thanks to the Ministry you sent us to _Gilbert thought bitterly.

"You know...I took a trip to Perretta recently. I heard about some pretty awful things that happened there. Ironically, they all happened a little while after I met you."

It was then that his attention was taken; he sat up a bit straighter on the stool and spoke quietly, he knew where this was going.

"What do you want?"

"There's a big price on your head for what you did back there. They're offering quite a bit for someone to give them the right information. It's a lot of money, enough to get me out that booth and into a home of my own. So let's strike a deal…match the amount they're offering and I'll forget I saw you tonight."

Gilbert licked his lips nervously, "Give me sometime to think about it."

"There's not much time left for you. The authorities are closing in on this town. And there are sketches of you in every store just beyond the boundaries of this city. Murder isn't the only thing they have on you. Property destruction, robberies in various cities, assault…you'll be going away for a long time if they catch you."

Gilbert snapped his head in the man's direction, "I _said_ give me sometime to think about it."

"Fine. You have forty-eight hours. Meet me here two nights from now. If you don't show up I'm going straight to the police…Mr… err, ah…Nightray, isn't it?" The man smiled and left Gilbert at the bar.

The raven felt his hands trembling and when he spotted the bartender coming toward him again he called out to the man, voice on edge "Excuse me…I'll have another, please. No ice this time."

**XXX**

"It's for his own good, Martha. He'll come out eventually."

"But what if he doesn't? We can't just let him starve up there."

"It's only ten in the morning. Let him wake up and come down on his own. When he realizes Gilbert won't be up there with his breakfast he'll get hungry enough to come in the kitchen and get some food."

And that's exactly how it happened.

An hour later, a wary looking blond loomed near the kitchen door, peeking in at first like a child secretly watching their parents fight through the crack in the doorway. But there was no fight in the kitchen, only Oscar who was mustering up all the jolly reserve he had and bringing it out in the most authentic way he could.

"Morning! It's good to see you up and about," he said to the green eyes that were still on the other side of the door.

Oz hesitantly walked into the kitchen. He didn't speak as he walked past Oscar and peeked in the pantry, when he reemerged he looked around again.

"Where's Gil?"

"I'm not sure, actually. Do you want some breakfast, it's still hot!"

The boy looked at him for a long time, like he had blood on his hands, and Oscar had the oddest inclination to look away from him.

"Who made it?"

Oscar pulled out a chair for Oz to sit in, "I did! Surprised? You didn't know I could cook did you haha! Hey now, just a minute. Where are you running off to?"

The boy was going to completely disregard him and leave, but he was courteous enough to answer the question.

"I'm going to find Gil, maybe he's sick."

Oscar couldn't control the serious shift in his tone, his words came out with a darkness he had been hiding "He isn't here, Oz."

Oz blinked at him with confusion, "You just told me you don't know where he is."

"I don't. But I do know he isn't here. Gilbert…needed some time off. I'm sure he'll be back soon. But in the meantime-"

"Why didn't he tell me that…"

"Does he have to?" Oscar challenged him; "Gilbert has worked hard to take care of you for all these months…he's entitled to a break sometimes."

Green eyes filled with guilt, voice unbalanced as he struggled with Oscar's comment, "Is that what he told you, that he's sick of me…that I worked him too hard?" The words belonged to someone who was truly winded, someone beyond discouraged.

"If I knew he felt that way….I wouldn't have…"

"Oz wait, he didn't-" It was too late. The boy left the kitchen and was half way back to the west wing.

Oscar ruffled his hands through his hair in frustration. He had not prepared for this the way he should have. He thought this was going to be a cinch. Oz would wake up, ask about Gilbert, and perhaps be a _tad_ dismayed but still eat breakfast and feel better right after he had some food in his stomach. Then he would suggest taking him out to go ice fishing or to do something fun and the boy would not have had a panic attack in the middle of the kitchen.

He thought deeply, he'd have to switch tactics soon.

**XXX**

Upon waking, he turned over stiffly while his dry mouth struggled to swallow. Pushing himself up, he looked around the room he was in. Apparently, his days of "bar-blackouts" weren't really over. He could only foggily remember how he ended up in a room above the tavern. His head was pounding as if a drum-line was behind his eyes. And his face felt glazed with a thin sheet of oil.

_Why couldn't it all have been a bad dream?_

Out of habit his first action was to check his wallet to make sure he wasn't mugged between the moments he passed out to the time he ended up in this bed.

All was well with his money and he was proud to know that although he was intoxicated that night he was still functional enough to pay for his room. Not to mention that his gun was still in place and fully loaded.

It was late afternoon by the time he rolled off that bed. It was shameful, really. The way he slept…and slept, as if this was a vacation. It wasn't a vacation - it was a punishment. He snorted as he drank the cool water in the glass beside the bed.

After he bathed he made his way to the lobby, waiting patiently for the man in the stall to get off the phone. After five minutes, the man emerged and Gilbert replaced him, sighing as he dialed the number. He was disappointed when Oscar picked up the line-he was hoping to get Martha instead.

His voice came out gruff, "Let me speak to Oz."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

Gilbert looked up to the ceiling almost mumbling, "Why are you doing this to me?"

"You had six months to try it your way, its only fair to let me try my method."

"I'm not disputing that anymore, I just want to hear his voice."

"He's fine, Gilbert. Trust me."

The raven hung up the phone with a strange urge to smash it. Why was this so infuriating, why was he caught in a situation like this? More than anything, at least hearing the boy's voice would have earned him some relief from his worries, give him vigor to get through this next few days and maybe enough strength to come up with some alternative plan considering the new threat against him.

But no, nothing ever worked out the way he wanted it to.

**XXX**

He had spent the majority of the day in front of the window, a book he wasn't really reading atop his lap and his blond hair resting against the cold glass. The sun was setting and he was aware of how pathetic he must have looked, but that was hardly his main concern. Then again, maybe looking pathetic was why he was in this current malaise - it was most likely the reason Gilbert had finally had enough of him.

That couldn't have been the only reason of course. If Oz had the energy he could probably make a long list of reasons why the man would decide to up and go…but to where and for how long?

Oscar had said "he'll be back soon" was soon tonight, tomorrow, three weeks from now? It was bad enough that "soon" was a contextual word. What was soon to Oscar could be akin to a lifetime for Oz, and he already felt like a lifetime had passed by when he was trapped into his own numb consciousness for all those months.

The thought of going back to that mind trap sent a shiver through him. It was worst than a nightmare. And debatably, it was worst than the short time he spent in the Abyss. The difference between the time he was in the Abyss and the times Jack took over mostly came down to this: in the Abyss he had access to his own body, he could control his actions, think for himself, and his memory and emotions were left intact.

But when Jack took over, it was like being caught in an empty gray space, where no thoughts or memories wanted to travel. He had no awareness of his physical body anymore, no physical sensations, and he couldn't sense temperature or time passage. He couldn't hold onto anything there…

Over time, all that was left was the mild knowledge of his continued existence, but nothing more. He had no purpose there. It seemed to happen in a certain order too. First his memories faded into the gray, then his thoughts followed them. At some point he was left with feelings that he couldn't even put a name to…that's until those left him as well.

He never really explained it to anyone before…it was far too hard to describe. But he would try his best to explain to Gilbert if that meant that the man could finally understand why he clung to him for so long, why he was unable to leave the room in the west wing….and why he was so afraid of being alone all the time.

The brief times that Jack gave him back his body, he always awoke feeling estranged and confused. The process all but degenerated his mental faculties. And by the time Jack seemed to back off Oz distrusted him. He knew that the moment he got use to living freely again Jack could take it all away from him. He spent months asking himself what the point was, especially since his seal was almost gone. The realization helped him lose his motive and drive to get up everyday. He was going to die soon enough…and there was no use pretending that he wasn't.

A knock at the door caused him to lift his head from the window. Maybe Gilbert came back after all.

"Can I come in?"

The boy frowned, "…yeah…" Oz said, resting his head against the window again when he knew that it was just Oscar.

"Still moping around, I see. It won't do you any good, you know."

"…"

"I have something that might cheer you up." Those words barely piqued any of Oz's interest but he still turned to acknowledge him anyway. Oscar walked over and handed him a cloth bag and the boy looked inside of it while the man sat on the end of the bed.

"Recognize any of it?" he asked.

The first object that he retrieved from the bag was a brown bear. As he held it in his hands he felt his mouth open to speak but no words came out. Images poured into his mind, like water into a glass. He saw memories of a day where he and Gilbert had a whole town rooting for them, giving them cheerful blessings even if they were misguided and birth from misunderstanding.

He saw a band playing music and could practically feel Gilbert's lips on his again when the melody in his head reached its climax. He closed his eyes and held the bear to his chest for a moment before he put it on his lap and dug further into the bag. His playing cards were there. The stack felt like an artifact from an earlier time, something that was forgotten …a symbol of better days. And of course the pocket watch was there. He was sure whoever found it would keep it - but there it was in his hand still playing music. Everything in his hand left him yearning deeply. He yearned for his life back, for the air and the wind and the sights and sounds that lie beyond the walls of his home…. he yearned for Gilbert.

"How did you get all of this?" Oz asked in a whisper.

"A boy gave it to me when I went to the ministry…he said it was important to you."

Oz nodded eagerly in agreement. All the stuff was important, and Billy must have kept it safe for him. Oz remembered silently struggling to come to terms with the idea that he would never see any of it again.

"I was going to give it to you sooner, but I wanted Jack to have subsided first. I don't think he would have appreciated any of it as much as you do anyway," the man smiled and gave a slight wink. This caused a faint smile to reach the boy's lips as he looked back at the bear in his lap, beginning to play with its fake eyes.

"Who gave you the bear?"

"Gil won it for me when we were on our way to the Ministry," His voice got quiet, contemplative "…It was the only fun day we spent together that whole trip."

The man chuckled lightly, genuinely, "I'm sure you'll have plenty more fun days ahead of you," his voice shifted to light but a bit firmer with his next statement. "But you have to be willing to make those days happen again. Understand?"

Oz nodded and wiped his eyes before they had a chance to leak anymore than they were. He had made a resolution in that moment. After Oscar departed he sat in the window for a few more minutes before he got up. He looked around the room for a moment suddenly feeling like the biggest fool in the world for willingly spending so much unnecessary time in the room. He turned out the oil lamp with a sigh and went to the door, brown bear against his chest and cloth bag in his hand.

He opened the door and headed to his real room. For the first time in months he was going to leave the house that night. He didn't know it at the time, but he would never return to that room in the west wing again….not for a number of years.

**XXX**

"Back again?"

"What's your point?" Gilbert grumbled.

"No point, just an observation. Can you try not to fall asleep, we had a hell of a time getting you out of here last night."

"Can we forgo the lecture? I'm not here for that."

"Fine, what are you having?"

"Brandy…on the rocks,"

The bartender huffed, "Coming right up"

Gilbert was irritated and his tension was high. He had spent the day pacing the floor at the hotel, and periodically listening to people's muffled voices coming through the thin walls. For Gilbert, the blackmail issue wasn't about the money…he could find the money.

It was the fact that even if he paid the man to keep quiet there was no way he could ensure that he would. If the man was really hard up for cash he would have went to the cops right away. But if he were a smart man, (which Gilbert didn't doubt that he was) the man would allow Gilbert to pay him off and double his profits by still telling the police and getting the original reward money as well. There was also the chance that there was no reward at all, and that the man happened to hear about what happened at the Ministry and made up a false story about the money.

_I could always threaten him…or…_

He was running out of options. Truly, he wanted to settle this in the cleanest way possible. Perhaps if he explained to the fortuneteller why he did what he did he would take pity and leave Gilbert alone. But how realistic was that? That day he had spent hours going over scenario after scenario about how to get out of this, and by the time he made his way back to the tavern he had wasted the day with indecision and a desire to only do one thing… get Oz and leave the town for good. He lit a cigarette and took a sip of his brandy. The implications were extreme; if he went to prison…he would never hold the blond in his arms again. Who would take care of his lover?

His heart raced at the thought, and paranoia took over him as he took another sip of his drink and looked around again. Would the phony fortuneteller show up? He still had one more day to struggle with this decision before the man was due to come looking for him. But that didn't mean he wouldn't show up unannounced just to reinforce his presence and purpose.

An hour later he heard the bell jingle above the door. Gilbert closed his eyes preparing his mind so he could face the man. He was even closing in on the idea of resorting to begging the more he considered the reality of him being taken from the boy…

"Gil…"

Suddenly, Gilbert's brow knitted, and slowly he turned around in his seat. A snowy, short, green-eye beauty stared at him, looking lost and full of indecision.

"Oz…" he felt dumbfounded, putting his drink down and approaching him, "What are you…how did you…" he struggled with his words.

"I had the driver take me to a few taverns in the area. I figured you might be at one of them" the blond looked away, now trembling slightly, "I came because…I want to apologize. I wanted to tell you that if you came home that I wouldn't be bothersome." He looked back at Gilbert when he spoke, "But I still can't…I can't do this without you."

In the dim tavern full of brusque men with emotions ranging from down-and-out to high-strung and hostile, Oz looked more vulnerable then he had ever seen him. And he didn't care that people were watching him hold the trembling teen against him.

"I promise I won't get in your way anymore. I'll do everything on my own…I won't bother you if you want space, just please…"

Gilbert hushed him, "I didn't leave because of any of that. I wouldn't leave you by choice."

"Then why…"

"Let me take you back home first, I'll explain then," he said, as he rubbed the boy's shoulders, the boy was beyond cold. "You're freezing," he mumbled to him. The boy was shivering uncontrollably and was dressed inappropriately for the cold snowy weather.

"I won't go back home unless you'll stay."

Gilbert frowned, "…Oz."

Gilbert glanced around the room, suddenly concerned that the fortuneteller was hiding in the corner somewhere. Possibly, if the man saw Oz he would double the consequence for deciding not to pay him. Gilbert reached into his pocket and took out a few bills. Ignoring the looks he got from men who looked on with interest as if they were watching a drama play. He placed the money on the counter before guiding Oz to the back door that would lead to the hotel lobby.

-:::::-

He left Oz sitting on the hotel bed, blankets hauled over his shoulders. The boy's lips were the color of the palest blue sky, and so were his nails. The bed shook as Oz sat atop it shivering violently in the small room. When Gilbert called him into the bathroom, he lowered at the way the blond's teeth refused to stop chattering.

"You're underdressed for this weather," the raven noted as he turned off the tub faucet, "Another minute out there and you would have gotten frostbite."

"I didn't think it would be so cold tonight,"

Gilbert looked him over again, still amazed to see the boy operating in another setting besides the west wing. He approached the boy and started unbuttoning his thin sweater. No words were exchanged between them as Oz undressed, but he did hesitate before immersing himself in the hot bath water.

"…Will you bathe with me?"

The request was simple enough, but Gilbert was still shocked by it. It took Oz to state those words for Gilbert to realize that up until now he had not actually shared the same tub as his master. On one hand he was surprised that he had yet to do something like that with him, but on the other hand he understood that circumstances that they had gone through didn't exactly put them in situation where Gilbert would think to do that.

He felt the blood swarming in his cheeks and then spread to his ears. He was on the verge of making up an excuse, mentioning the "inappropriateness" of something like that. But it would have all been lies, because frankly he just couldn't trust himself with Oz anymore-at least not in an intimate context. Six _sex-less_ months had passed since their last encounter and Gilbert couldn't promise that he could keep up with that spotless record if presented an innocent opportunity like that.

He must have taken too long to answer because Oz walked over to him and returned the previous favor. Unfastening Gilbert's belt, un-tucking his shirt, releasing all his buttons. All the while, Gilbert felt something in him begin to unhinge itself, like a loose spring slowly uncoiling in cold heat. By the time Oz had loosened everything Gilbert responded in kind by removing his clothing. He had just finished removing his under garments by the time his eyes watched pale skin sink into the steaming water in front of him. And he worked hard not to expose his semi-hard arousal. Feeling pitiful that his body was reacting to something so simple.

At first he sat awkwardly in the farthest corner of the bathtub, keeping his eyes and hands to himself. He could hear Oz washing up slowly beside him, the smell of soap hit his nose and the glimpse of pale flesh was just beyond his peripheral vision. The knowledge of the naked boy beside him was making the hardness he was experiencing under the water become more intense and he quickly took a cloth and lathered it with his own soap so he could hurry and finish washing himself.

The quicker he was clean the quicker he could leave the tub.

-:::::-

"Umm…Gil? Can you help me?"

Oz watched Gilbert pause and reluctantly look over at him, "With what?"

Shyly, Oz gestured toward his back. Another few seconds past before Gilbert scooted over toward him, taking Oz by the hips and repositioning him.

He sat with his back facing the man. He could practically feel the deep hesitation in Gilbert's soft touch. But it was hard to focus on that as the warm water washed over his back and the soapsuds slipped down his spine. After a few lovely minutes the man abandoned the soap and cloth and was using his hands, massaging his back and neck, running his long fingers through his wet blond hair. He didn't realize he was making noises of approval until the man took it a step further, beginning to kiss the nape of his neck and down his shoulders. Soon, Oz wanted his lips instead and he turned around to claim them.

Gilbert kissed him slow and long, wet hands gently holding on either side of Oz's face while Oz began wrapping his arms around his neck. The man only broke the kiss to catch his breath and mumble out sweet words that made Oz's heart flutter and his skin flush over. The man pulled the plug on the tub so that the water would go down.

Oz was caught off guard. Before he knew it Gilbert had slipped between his legs and used his forearm to lift Oz half way out of the warm water. He gently propped Oz up against the back end of the tub, spreading the blond's legs so that they were hanging over either side of the lip of the bathtub. The sound of the water slurping down the drain mimicked the sounds of Gilbert slurping up the water on his stomach and wet thighs. And Oz could hardly contain himself any longer. With the feelings that were flowing through him, he wondered how he could have allowed himself to become so detached to the point that he forgot what it felt like to have Gilbert cater to him in such ways.

He felt those strong hands supporting his back as his mouth worked him over. Gilbert licked and lapped at everything that was available to him- from the spaces below his small sac, to the creases between his legs. He was generous with every wide stroke of his tongue and even more lavish with the occasional grip of his right hand on his arousal. Finally, through hazy eyes he watched Gilbert devour him hungrily, his length disappearing into his lover's hot mouth like an icicle in boing water. Oz hissed at the familiar sensation as black bangs stuck to Gilbert's forehead and dripped water onto his stomach before his head found a steady rhythm to follow.

Oz was having a hard time bracing himself, and he hesitantly let his shaking hands creep their way into Gilbert's wet smooth hair. He felt all the heat in his body pulsating and pooling toward the surface of his skin. Soon, Gilbert's pace began to vary and he could tell that the man couldn't decided whether to savor the feeling of Oz in his mouth, thus going slow; or to feast on him fast and greedily like a starved man at personal banquet. Either way, Oz would be willing to let Gilbert do whatever he wanted _however_ he wanted - just as long as the man was pleasing himself in the process.

He couldn't hold out much longer, he tried to wiggle his way away from Gilbert's mouth as to not surprise the raven when his body decided to release. He had done such things in the past but he had promised himself to be more self-aware next time. But Gilbert sensed this, tightening his hold on Oz's backside and holding him in place. That action alone was enough to send the boy over the edge; he could hear his own cries of pleasure echoing off the tile walls. And the blazing eruption caused his whole body to convulse in Gilbert's hold.

He bit his bottom lip, trying not to whimper so loudly as his servant continued to lightly extract the rest of what was left in him.

Gilbert gave him very little time to recover before he used his wet fingers to enter the boy's small entrance and begin to loosen him up. Oz wrapped his arms around the man, burying his face in Gilbert's shoulder, as Gilbert continued to bury his fingers in him. And when the man whispered for him to wrap his legs around him, the blond obeyed wantonly, feeling that familiar stirring awaken in him again when the man brushed past that hot point in his depths.

He wanted more of those skilled fingers, but Gilbert's wants were greater it seemed. Oz yelped a bit when Gilbert withdrew the digits and he felt his whole body being lifted from the now empty tub. He clung to the man more tightly when he realized Gilbert was stepping out of the tub and heading to the wall.

Gently, the man pressed Oz's small back against the slippery wall. He secured his hold under the blond's thighs with his slick manhood already poking at his entrance. Oz tried to relax himself, excitement causing his heart to pound hard in his chest.

"Gil…Don't hold back on anything."

The man swallowed and nodded, beginning to kiss the now peach lips and lower Oz onto himself.

-:::::-

How he missed that beautiful heat, the sound of Oz moaning in his ear, and the touch of his soft hands, the feeling of his legs wrapped around him. The _tightness_. He wanted to go slow, truly he did. He wanted to _make love_ to the boy and not be an unrestrained animal about it. But the primitiveness in him had his body slamming into the boy and he couldn't seem to stop himself. His arms did not tire as he held Oz up, and although his rhythm was relentless he did try his best not to hurt the boy's back as he took him strong and deep against the wall. In this position, he was able to take quick breaks so that he could take the blond's nipples into his mouth and savor the taste. He loved the image of Oz arching off the wall and the erotic feeling of sliding between those beautiful thighs and entering him in the deepest way possible.

The sound of his name rolling off of that sweet tongue signaled to him that Oz was getting closer to his next peak. The boy was quaking against the wall and when the blond's seed spilled hotly between them, he felt Oz's leg's trembling in his hands.

Soon, he was following after him, and after a few more long deep thrusts he spilled himself into Oz's waiting depths hearing some of the drops fall to the floor.

He didn't pull out of him right away; instead, he turned them around so that his back was against the wall. Slowly, he let his weak knees lower them to the floor so that Oz was facing him, and siting on his lap. They were both left panting hard as Oz lay against him, and the quivering of his slippery insides was causing Gilbert to harden again. Another firm clench of the boy's walls and Gilbert couldn't take it anymore. He sucked in air between his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut…struggling to get out words.

"O-Oz, I-"

He felt soft lips connect to his, and he returned the lazy kiss hearing Oz speak against his lips, "Again?" Oz asked breathily.

Gilbert blushed into the kiss, afraid of saying yes. But he didn't have to. Oz set to work deeply grinding down onto Gilbert's reawakened manhood. The man groaned throwing his head back against the wall. He rubbed his palms against those sinful hips and he knew their night together was going to be long, amazing, and something that he was in dire need of…

**XXX**

Hours later, he was still awake. He rested his head on his fist as he lay on his side beside the boy and watched him sleep. He moved his hands through slightly damp blond hair, admiring each of his soft angelic features. It felt good, watching him sleep like that. It was a beautiful and peaceful moment. And he knew that he could not picture a life where he was robbed of having all of what was laying beside him.

Thoughts moved through Gilbert's mind and he finally made his decision.

It all became crystal clear and he felt silly that he even struggled to make a decision like that in the first place.

He placed a long soft kiss in the boy's hair before he got off the bed and got dressed.

Quietly, he checked the bullets in his gun. Counting them slowly - _one. two. three. four…five…six_.

He only needed one, though.

He put on his gloves and before he could put on his coat the voice on the bed called to him.

"Gil?"

He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, "Go to sleep, I'll be back before you wake up."

"Where are you going?"

"…I have to take care of something,"

"What time is it?"

"Three thirty,"

The boy eyed him with new worry, trying to sit up in bed; he looked Gilbert over and noticed the gun on his hip.

Slowly, the blond shook his head in resistance, "Come back to bed with me, whatever it is… it can wait 'till morning."

Gilbert sighed through his nose and leaned over to firmly kiss the space between those green eyes, "It can't wait 'till morning," he whispered.

"You're making me nervous, tell me what's wrong."

"Everything's fine. I need to run a quick errand. I'll be back before sunrise," he landed one last kiss on those fretting peach lips. Then he got up and put on his coat, swiping the room keys off the nightstand. He left almost soundlessly, leaving an anxious blond lying confused on the hotel bed.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Sorry its such a long chapter. Trying to keep this story under 30 chapters but not sure its gonna work out that way. We still have a little ways to go. Next chapter's half ways done and the wait shouldn't be nearly as long.

-Rage


End file.
